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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 6/2013

01-06-2013 | Original Paper

Childhood sexual trauma, cannabis use and psychosis: statistically controlling for pre-trauma psychosis and psychopathology

Authors: Jamie Murphy, James Edward Houston, Mark Shevlin, Gary Adamson

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 6/2013

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Abstract

Purpose

Recurring evidence seems to suggest that sexual trauma in childhood may moderate associations between cannabis consumption and psychosis. It has also been suggested, however, that poor childhood mental health may explain linkages between these phenomena.

Methods

The current study, using data from the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication (N = 2,355), sought to revaluate the stability of the childhood trauma–cannabis interaction while statistically controlling for pre-trauma psychotic experiences and psychopathology in childhood.

Results

Psychotic experiences that occurred before childhood sexual trauma significantly influenced adult psychosis symptomatology (psychosis pre-rape B = 0.10; psychosis pre-sexual assault B = 0.23). Social phobia (B = 0.07) also conferred risk for adult psychosis. Pre-trauma childhood psychopathology, however, did not account for the interaction between childhood sexual trauma and cannabis consumption in a multivariate model. Childhood experiences of rape (B = 0.15) and an interaction between cannabis use and childhood sexual assault (B = 0.05) independently contributed to adult psychosis. Cannabis use conferred no independent risk.

Conclusions

With specific regard to research methodology, the current findings offer further justification for the inclusion of childhood sexual trauma in analyses investigating associations between cannabis use and psychosis.
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Metadata
Title
Childhood sexual trauma, cannabis use and psychosis: statistically controlling for pre-trauma psychosis and psychopathology
Authors
Jamie Murphy
James Edward Houston
Mark Shevlin
Gary Adamson
Publication date
01-06-2013
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 6/2013
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0592-8

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