Childhood trauma is a severe form of stress that renders individuals more vulnerable to developing schizophrenia; neurobiological effects of such trauma on the endocrine system and epigenetic mechanisms are discussed.
Childhood trauma - such as childhood physical, sexual and emotional abuse - has been found to be a risk factor for psychosis, and interventions are beginning to be developed to treat the effects of childhood trauma in people with psychosis.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Children and adolescents with PTSD have symptoms such as persistent, frightening thoughts and memories or flashbacks of a traumatic event or events.
A large genome-wide association study (GWAS) has identified a collection of genes associated with PTSD, and these genes overlap with those identified as increasing the risk of developing schizophrenia.
About two-thirds of people with schizophreniform disorder develop schizophrenia. In some cases, people with schizophreniform disorder also have symptoms of depression, which increases the risk of suicide.
Psychosis Symptoms in PTSD
Some symptoms of PTSD can overlap with the occurrence of positive psychosis symptoms, such as visual hallucinations and hearing voices that are not there. Experiencing severe shock or violent and sudden death, such as in a war zone or domestic violence, are contributing factors.
Without treatment, repeated childhood exposure to traumatic events can affect the brain and nervous system and increase health-risk behaviors (e.g., smoking, eating disorders, substance use, and high-risk activities).
It can lead to persistent feelings of sadness, lack of interest in activities, and difficulty experiencing pleasure. Adults who experienced traumatic events as children may have recurring nightmares, and flashbacks, or may feel a like they're in a constant state of danger.
There are absolutely health impacts from unresolved trauma. Unresolved trauma puts people at increased risk for mental health diagnoses, which run the gamut of anxiety, depression and PTSD. There are physical manifestations as well, such as cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure, stroke or heart attacks.
Childhood trauma may trigger schizophrenia in those susceptible to it, and people may experience symptoms between their late teens and early 30s. Trauma can also contribute to other mental health conditions. PTSD can cause similar symptoms to schizophrenia and may affect mood and cognition.
PTSD in children can lead to depression, suicidal behavior, substance use, and oppositional or defiant behaviors well into adulthood, which can affect their ability to succeed in school, and create and nurture important relationships.
Can stress cause schizophrenia? Stress isn't considered to be a direct cause of schizophrenia, but it could trigger an episode of psychosis in a person who's already vulnerable. 2016 research suggests that the condition can be caused by genetic predisposition and environmental factors.
As is the case with many major neuropsychiatric illnesses, the typical age of onset for schizophrenia is in late adolescence or early twenties, with a slightly later onset in females.
A child who has experienced this type of trauma and holds much shame may show us behaviours such as: envy, anger, and anxiety, effects of sadness, depression, depletion, loneliness, isolation and avoidance. They will highlight to us their inadequacy, their powerlessness and at times their own self-disgust.
A study of young adults found that childhood trauma was significantly correlated with elevated psychological distress, increased sleep disturbances, reduced emotional well-being, and lower perceived social support.
Childhood trauma in adults also results in feeling disconnected, and being unable to relate to others. Studies have shown that adults that experience childhood trauma were more likely to struggle with controlling emotions, and had heightened anxiety, depression, and anger.
Most unresolved childhood trauma affects self-esteem and creates anxiety. Did you suffer a serious childhood illness? If so, you were likely isolated at home or hospitalized. This meant being removed from normal social activities and you probably felt lonely, maybe even worried about being different.
Trauma-induced changes to the brain can result in varying degrees of cognitive impairment and emotional dysregulation that can lead to a host of problems, including difficulty with attention and focus, learning disabilities, low self-esteem, impaired social skills, and sleep disturbances (Nemeroff, 2016).
They may also avoid situations that make them feel anxious. People with anxiety disorders are at increased risk for developing schizophrenia. This may be because anxiety and schizophrenia share common features, such as problems with sleep, concentration, and decision-making problems.
1 2 Intact reality testing and a lack of thought disorder differentiate PTSD-SP from schizophrenia. 1 2 Furthermore delusions in PTSD-SP are typically persecutory, whereas in schizophrenia they may also be bizarre and complex.
People with psychosis typically experience delusions (false beliefs, for example, that people on television are sending them special messages or that others are trying to hurt them) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that others do not, such as hearing voices telling them to do something or criticizing them).