Early trauma and schizophrenia onset: preliminary results of an outpatient cohort in Brazil

Abstract Objectives To assess the prevalence of early trauma in individuals with onset of schizophrenia (SZ) at early (≤ 18 years) and adult (> 18 years) ages (EOP and AOP, respectively) and explore relationships between the onset of disease and clinical variables including traumatic events and psychotic and mood symptoms. Methods Subjects with SZ (n = 71) and EOP and AOP were compared for history of psychological trauma, sexual abuse, and physical punishment using the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report - Short Form (ETISR-SF). They were also compared for history of comorbidities and affective disorders using the Diagnostic Interview for Psychosis and Affective Disorders, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia. Coefficients were calculated for correlations between scale results and disease duration. Results Early trauma was significantly associated with an early onset psychotic episode (r = -0.315, p