Recorded Rates of Trauma Exposure in a Retrospective Epidemiologically
Complete First-Episode Psychosis Cohort
Abstract
Background: Trauma plays an important role in the development
and maintenance of psychosis. However, it is still under-examined in
daily clinical practice. The current study investigated the rates of
recording of trauma-exposure in the clinical histories of a
first-episode psychosis (FEP) cohort attending an early intervention
psychosis service. Methods: This study used a retrospective
chart review methodology in a six-year epidemiologically complete (FEP)
first-episode psychosis cohort attending an early intervention psychosis
service. The Trauma and Life Events Checklist was used to define the
rate and types of trauma exposure reported in clinical histories. The
relationships were examined between recorded trauma-exposure and
positive and negative symptoms, depression, and duration of untreated
psychosis at first assessment. Results: A high rate of recorded
trauma exposure was found, indicating that clinicians are recording
trauma-exposure in daily practice through clinical histories. Childhood
trauma exposure was recorded in 47.4% of the sample. No significant
relationships between the recorded trauma-exposure and symptom measures
were found. A significant relationship was found between interpersonal
stressors and positive symptoms, and work-related stress and negative
symptoms, highlighting the important of proximal stressful life events.
Discussion: Even though clinicians were not assessing trauma
systematically using standardised instruments, this study found that
clinicians were recording trauma-exposure in daily practice. The high
rates of trauma-exposure highlighted the need for trauma to be
systematically diagnosed, assessed and treated in planning services for
people with psychosis. This study found no significant relationship
between recorded trauma-exposure and symptomology.