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Childhood abuse and psychosis; a critical review of the literature

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, UK

Theodore Stickley

University of Nottingham, UK, theo.stickley{at}nottingham.ac.uk

Childhood trauma has long been recognised as a potential cause for a range of affective mental health problems arising in adulthood. Only in recent years has the association between childhood abuse and psychosis begun to be investigated. This paper provides a critical review of the literature addressing the relationship between childhood abuse and psychosis. Implications for practitioners are discussed, including practice, policy, treatment and child protection issues. A significant proportion of people develop psychosis in adulthood following all types of childhood abuse, including people diagnosed with schizophrenia, major depressive disorders, dissociative identity disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Evidence suggests the possibility of a causal relationship between childhood abuse and psychosis in adulthood. Mental health nurses are ideally placed to offer help, care and support to those individuals who experience psychosis by acknowledging and listening to their life events, including experiences of childhood abuse.

Key Words: childhood abuse • literature review • mental health • psychosis

Journal of Research in Nursing, Vol. 14, No. 6, 531-547 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1744987109347045


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