The relationship between childhood trauma history and the psychotic subtype of major depression

Increasing evidence exists linking childhood trauma and primary psychotic disorders, but there is little research on patients with primary affective disorders with psychotic features.

The sample consisted of adult out-patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) at clinic intake using a structured clinical interview. Patients with MDD with (n = 32) vs. without psychotic features (n = 591) were compared as to their rates of different types of childhood trauma.

Psychotic MDD patients were significantly more likely to report histories of physical (OR = 2.81) or sexual abuse (OR = 2.75) compared with non-psychotic MDD patients. These relationships remained after controlling for baseline differences. Within the subsample with comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder, patients with psychotic MDD were significantly more likely to report childhood physical abuse (OR = 3.20).

Results support and extend previous research by demonstrating that the relationship between childhood trauma and psychosis is found across diagnostic groups.