Self-reports of childhood abuse in chronically psychotic patients

A heterogeneous sample of 61 chronically psychotic patients were subgrouped according to the presence or absence of a self-reported history of childhood abuse. Patients reporting childhood abuse ( n = 27) had an earlier age of onset, scored higher on the Dissociative Experiences Scale, reported more amnesia, and relapsed more frequently than patients not reporting abuse histories. Histories of childhood abuse and of past stimulant abuse predicted the score on the Dissociative Experiences Scale. A history of childhood abuse may thus contribute to the symptomatology and course of illness in some chronically psychotic patients.