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Childhood victimisation and developmental expression of non-clinical delusional ideation and hallucinatory experiences

Victimisation and non-clinical Psychotic experiences

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Abstract

Background

Victimisation in childhood may be associated with adult psychosis. The current study examined this association in the crucial developmental period of early adolescence and investigated whether (1) unwanted sexual experiences, and (2) being bullied, were associated with non-clinical delusional ideation and hallucinatory experiences in a general population sample of 14 year olds.

Methods

Data were derived from standard health screenings of the Youth Health Care Divisions of the Municipal Health Services in Maastricht, the Netherlands. A self-report questionnaire was filled out by a total of 1290 adolescents to assess non-clinical psychotic experiences, as well as experiences of being bullied and sexual trauma.

Results

Non-clinical psychotic experiences were strongly and independently associated with both bullying (OR=2.9, 95% CI 1.8–4.8) and sexual trauma (OR=4.8, 95% CI 2.3–10.1).

Conclusions

The results suggest that reported associations between childhood victimisation and adult psychosis can be understood in a developmental framework of onset of at-risk mental states in early adolescence. In addition, the data suggest that the traumatic experience of being bullied may also feed the cognitive and biological mechanisms underlying formation of psychotic ideation.

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Acknowledgements

Dr. Inez Myin-Germeys was supported by NARSAD (Young Investigator Award), by the Dutch Medical Council (VENI-GRANT), and especially by the Essel Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network EURON, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Tineke Lataster, Jim van Os, Marjan Drukker, Cécile Henquet, Nicole Gunther & Inez Myin-Germeys

  2. Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

    Jim van Os

  3. Youth Health Care Division, Municipal Health Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Frans Feron & Inez Myin-Germeys

  4. Mondriaan Zorggroep Section Social Cognition, Heerlen, The Netherlands

    Inez Myin-Germeys

Authors
  1. Tineke Lataster
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  2. Jim van Os
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  5. Frans Feron
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  7. Inez Myin-Germeys
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Correspondence to Inez Myin-Germeys.

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Lataster, T., van Os, J., Drukker, M. et al. Childhood victimisation and developmental expression of non-clinical delusional ideation and hallucinatory experiences. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 41, 423–428 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-006-0060-4

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