Childhood trauma in bipolar disorder

Abstract

Introduction Bipolar disorder is a multi-factorial disease and has a heterogeneous clinical presentation. Currently, the negative impact of stress on the evolutionary course of the disease is increasingly being recognized. However, studies exploring the childhood trauma in bipolar disorder are, so far, few and inconclusive. Objectives We sought to compare injury rates during childhood in adults with bipolar disorder compared with a healthy control group to study the impact of childhood trauma on the clinical evolution of bipolar disorder. Methods A retrospective assessment of childhood trauma was conducted using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) with 30 patients with bipolar disorder who are stabilized and who following post treatment in the psychiatric unit F Razi hospital and 30 healthy subjects matched based on age and sex. Results Significantly higher rates of childhood trauma were observed in bipolar patients compared to the control group. The scores for sexual abuse and emotional neglect differ significantly between the two groups. Psychological violence was predictive of early onset bipolar disorder. Associations with clinical severity were less clear. Conclusion Emotional deprivation in early childhood appears to be significantly associated with bipolar disorder. More thorough studies especially on the neurobiological consequences of childhood trauma would be necessary.