TY - JOUR
T1 - Association between traumatic stressful events and schizotypal symptoms among a community-based sample of adolescents
T2 - A 2-year longitudinal study
AU - Dong, Fanghong
AU - Calkins, Monica E.
AU - Compton, Peggy
AU - Medoff-Cooper, Barbara
AU - Barzilay, Ran
AU - Taylor, Jerome H.
AU - Moore, Tyler M.
AU - Gur, Ruben C.
AU - Gur, Raquel E.
AU - Hodgson, Nancy A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2021/7
Y1 - 2021/7
N2 - Background: Traumatic stressful events (TSEs) are among the most studied risk factors for subsequent schizotypal symptoms. However, specificity and aggregate effects of trauma exposure on schizotypal symptoms remain unclear. This study investigates these relationships among a community-based sample of US adolescents. Material and methods: A sub-sample of 426 adolescents (51.6% female) from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort study were selected for longitudinal follow-up based on presence (n = 209) or absence (n = 217) of psychosis spectrum symptoms (PSS). At baseline, they completed assessments of demographic, TSEs, other psychopathology (e.g., PSS, anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorder) and family history of psychopathology. Schizotypal symptom dimensions (cognitive-perceptual, interpersonal and disorganized) were evaluated approximately two years later. Results: More than half of adolescents experienced at least one type of TSE. Adolescents with assaultive trauma reported about 1.5 times as many symptoms on all three schizotypal symptom dimensions, compared to adolescents with non-assaultive TSE, adjusting for demographic and family history variables. No statistical significance was found after further adjusting for other baseline psychopathology (p > 0.05). There was a significant aggregate effect of TSEs on cognitive-perceptual symptoms with small effect size (p < 0.001, Cohen's f2 = 0.034). Conclusions: We found evidence of an association between aggregate TSEs and cognitive-perceptual symptoms, but trauma type was not associated with schizotypal symptom dimensions when controlling for potential confounders. Our findings highlight the importance of considering aggregate TSE effects and potential confounds when examining associations between TSEs and schizotypy. Trauma and psychosis spectrum screening may be important in the effort to provide trauma-informed care.
AB - Background: Traumatic stressful events (TSEs) are among the most studied risk factors for subsequent schizotypal symptoms. However, specificity and aggregate effects of trauma exposure on schizotypal symptoms remain unclear. This study investigates these relationships among a community-based sample of US adolescents. Material and methods: A sub-sample of 426 adolescents (51.6% female) from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort study were selected for longitudinal follow-up based on presence (n = 209) or absence (n = 217) of psychosis spectrum symptoms (PSS). At baseline, they completed assessments of demographic, TSEs, other psychopathology (e.g., PSS, anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorder) and family history of psychopathology. Schizotypal symptom dimensions (cognitive-perceptual, interpersonal and disorganized) were evaluated approximately two years later. Results: More than half of adolescents experienced at least one type of TSE. Adolescents with assaultive trauma reported about 1.5 times as many symptoms on all three schizotypal symptom dimensions, compared to adolescents with non-assaultive TSE, adjusting for demographic and family history variables. No statistical significance was found after further adjusting for other baseline psychopathology (p > 0.05). There was a significant aggregate effect of TSEs on cognitive-perceptual symptoms with small effect size (p < 0.001, Cohen's f2 = 0.034). Conclusions: We found evidence of an association between aggregate TSEs and cognitive-perceptual symptoms, but trauma type was not associated with schizotypal symptom dimensions when controlling for potential confounders. Our findings highlight the importance of considering aggregate TSE effects and potential confounds when examining associations between TSEs and schizotypy. Trauma and psychosis spectrum screening may be important in the effort to provide trauma-informed care.
KW - Adolescence
KW - Psychosis spectrum symptoms
KW - Risk factors
KW - Schizotypy
KW - Trauma
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85108957382&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.schres.2021.06.029
DO - 10.1016/j.schres.2021.06.029
M3 - Article
C2 - 34225026
AN - SCOPUS:85108957382
SN - 0920-9964
VL - 233
SP - 44
EP - 51
JO - Schizophrenia research
JF - Schizophrenia research
ER -