Research at The Royal Cornhill Hospital The Consequences of Trauma in Early Life For Adult Mental Health

Aims The primary aims of the study are: 1. To determine an accurate estimate of the rate of childhood sexual, physical and emotional abuse (early trauma) amongst clients in contact with Mental Health Services in Aberdeen. 2. To determine the range of psychological distress likely to be associated with early trauma in this population.

Aims Secondary aims: 1. To estimate the prevalence of personality disorder amongst clients in Aberdeen and correlate this with early trauma. 2. To determine the rate of recording by health care professionals in Aberdeen of early trauma as a possible factor in adult mental illness.

Questionnaires 1)The Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90-R) - a self-report questionnaire designed to measure current psychological distress. 2)The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) - a self-report questionnaire designed to screen for histories of abuse and neglect. 3) The Personality Disorder Questionnaire (PDQ-4) - a self-report questionnaire designed to screen for Personality disorders (PD).

The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) The CTQ screens for 5 types of maltreatment: Emotional Abuse Physical Abuse Sexual Abuse Emotional Neglect Physical Neglect

The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) Participants respond to a series of questions about childhood events, by endorsing one of the following options: Never True = 1 Rarely True = 2 Sometimes True =3 Often True = 4 Very Often True = 5

Classification of CTQ Scale Total Scores Scale none - Minimal low to moderate moderate to severe Severe to extreme Emotional Abuse =>16 Physical Abuse =>13 Sexual Abuse =>13 Emotional Neglect =>18 Physical Neglect =>13 No Childhood Trauma Childhood Trauma

Classification of CTQ Scale Total Scores In this study participants are considered to have suffered childhood trauma if they have scored the following for each category: Emotional Abuse 13 and above Physical Abuse 10 and above Sexual Abuse 8 and above Emotional Neglect 15 and above Physical Neglect 10 and above (shaded area of table)

PDQ-4 PDQ-4 is designed to assess 12 personality disorders. The total PDQ-4 score is an index of overall personality disturbance. Controls generally score 20 or less. Patients in therapy generally score between A total score of 30 or more indicates a substantial likelihood that the patient has significant personality disturbance. In this study only participants scoring positively for a specific PD and with a total score of 30 or above are included in the PD group. A participant scoring positively for a specific PD but with a total score of less than 30 has been excluded.

SCL-90-R The Symptom Checklist 90 Revised (SCL-90-R) – needs all the data to be gathered before analysis can begin.

Initial Findings Interviewed 128 participants. CTQ 76 of the 128 participants have experienced some form of early trauma. 49 of the 76 participants who have experience early trauma have this recorded in their psychiatric medical records. PDQ4 81 of the 128 participants have significant personality disturbance. 17 of the 81 participants who have significant personality disturbance have a diagnosis of PD.

Initial Findings Personality Disorder and Early Trauma 62 of the 81 participants with significant personality disturbance have experienced some form of early trauma.