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.
Keywords : Psychosis, Trauma, FEP, Treatment Planning,
Retrospective Chart Review.