Exposure to trauma and the clinical presentation of first-episode psychosis in South Africa

ObjectiveTo evaluate the relationship between a history of traumatic experiences and the clinical features of first-episode psychosis (FEP).MethodWe tested associations between trauma variables and duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), age of onset (AO), PANSS-rated positive and negative symptoms and depressive symptoms (Calgary Depression Scale) in a sample of 54 FEP patients.ResultsMean DUP was 34.4 weeks, while mean AO was 24.7 years. Witnessing a seriously violent assault (49%) was associated with high positive symptoms (p = 0.002), while a significant personal experience of racism and discrimination (39%) was associated with high depressive (p = 0.042) symptoms. Previous sexual assault (44% of females) was associated with high positive (p = 0.028) and negative (p = 0.035) symptoms with a trend association with depressive symptoms (p = 0.092).ConclusionOur findings suggest that previous traumatic experience is associated with positive and affective symptoms in FEP.