PURPOSE: The association between childhood maltreatment (ChM) and psychotic disorders is well established. However, there is an ongoing debate about which factors account for this relationship. One explanation is that the relationship between ChM and psychosis is mediated by adult attachment style. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate whether adult attachment style mediates the relationship between ChM and positive and negative symptomatology. METHODS: We investigated the relation between ChM and psychotic symptoms, taking into account levels of (insecure) attachment, in 131 patients with psychotic illness, 123 siblings and 72 controls. ChM was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance were measured using the Psychosis Attachment Measure (PAM). RESULTS: In both patients and siblings, ChM predicted positive symptoms and this relationship was partly mediated by attachment style. This relationship was found to be stronger for siblings than for patients. ChM predicted negative symptoms in patients and siblings. In the patient sample, attachment style did not mediate the relationship between ChM and negative symptoms, whereas attachment style was found to be a mediator in the sibling sample. CONCLUSIONS: ChM was associated with positive and negative symptomatology in both patients and siblings. Particularly in siblings, the relationship between ChM and psychosis seems to be mediated by adult attachment style. Perhaps attachment style may play a more prominent role on a subclinical level.
PURPOSE: The association between childhood maltreatment (ChM) and psychotic disorders is well established. However, there is an ongoing debate about which factors account for this relationship. One explanation is that the relationship between ChM and psychosis is mediated by adult attachment style. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate whether adult attachment style mediates the relationship between ChM and positive and negative symptomatology. METHODS: We investigated the relation between ChM and psychotic symptoms, taking into account levels of (insecure) attachment, in 131 patients with psychotic illness, 123 siblings and 72 controls. ChM was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance were measured using the Psychosis Attachment Measure (PAM). RESULTS: In both patients and siblings, ChM predicted positive symptoms and this relationship was partly mediated by attachment style. This relationship was found to be stronger for siblings than for patients. ChM predicted negative symptoms in patients and siblings. In the patient sample, attachment style did not mediate the relationship between ChM and negative symptoms, whereas attachment style was found to be a mediator in the sibling sample. CONCLUSIONS: ChM was associated with positive and negative symptomatology in both patients and siblings. Particularly in siblings, the relationship between ChM and psychosis seems to be mediated by adult attachment style. Perhaps attachment style may play a more prominent role on a subclinical level.
Authors: John McGrath; Joy Welham; James Scott; Daniel Varghese; Louisa Degenhardt; Mohammad Reza Hayatbakhsh; Rosa Alati; Gail M Williams; William Bor; Jake M Najman Journal: Arch Gen Psychiatry Date: 2010-03-01
Authors: M Hanssen; F Peeters; L Krabbendam; S Radstake; H Verdoux; J van Os Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2003-03 Impact factor: 4.328
Authors: Eva Velthorst; Dorien H Nieman; Hiske E Becker; Reinaud van de Fliert; Peter M Dingemans; Rianne Klaassen; Lieuwe de Haan; Thérèse van Amelsvoort; Don H Linszen Journal: Schizophr Res Date: 2009-03-09 Impact factor: 4.939
Authors: Christine Heim; D Jeffrey Newport; Tanja Mletzko; Andrew H Miller; Charles B Nemeroff Journal: Psychoneuroendocrinology Date: 2008-07 Impact factor: 4.905
Authors: Thomas Bailey; Mario Alvarez-Jimenez; Ana M Garcia-Sanchez; Carol Hulbert; Emma Barlow; Sarah Bendall Journal: Schizophr Bull Date: 2018-08-20 Impact factor: 9.306
Authors: Michael A P Bloomfield; Tinya Chang; Maximillian J Woodl; Laura M Lyons; Zhen Cheng; Clarissa Bauer-Staeb; Catherine Hobbs; Sophie Bracke; Helen Kennerley; Louise Isham; Chris Brewin; Jo Billings; Talya Greene; Glyn Lewis Journal: World Psychiatry Date: 2021-02 Impact factor: 49.548
Authors: Baptiste Pignon; Mohamed Lajnef; James B Kirkbride; Hugo Peyre; Aziz Ferchiou; Jean-Romain Richard; Grégoire Baudin; Sarah Tosato; Hannah Jongsma; Lieuwe de Haan; Ilaria Tarricone; Miguel Bernardo; Eva Velthorst; Mauro Braca; Celso Arango; Manuel Arrojo; Julio Bobes; Cristina Marta Del-Ben; Marta Di Forti; Charlotte Gayer-Anderson; Peter B Jones; Caterina La Cascia; Antonio Lasalvia; Paulo Rossi Menezes; Diego Quattrone; Julio Sanjuán; Jean-Paul Selten; Andrea Tortelli; Pierre-Michel Llorca; Jim van Os; Bart P F Rutten; Robin M Murray; Craig Morgan; Marion Leboyer; Andrei Szöke; Franck Schürhoff Journal: Schizophr Bull Date: 2021-10-21 Impact factor: 9.306
Authors: Kevin W Hoffman; Jakleen J Lee; Cheryl M Corcoran; David Kimhy; Thorsten M Kranz; Dolores Malaspina Journal: Front Psychiatry Date: 2020-07-03 Impact factor: 4.157
Authors: Amy Hardy; Richard Emsley; Daniel Freeman; Paul Bebbington; Philippa A Garety; Elizabeth E Kuipers; Graham Dunn; David Fowler Journal: Schizophr Bull Date: 2016-07 Impact factor: 9.306