Early Trauma Inventory-Self Report Research Articles

Childhood sexual trauma and opioid use among older adults living with HIV

ABSTRACT Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has been linked to substance use and substance use disorders in adulthood. However, there have been limited studies examining the relationship between CSA and opioid use among older adults living with HIV (OALH). Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the association between CSA and opioid use among OALH (n = 91). Data were obtained from an HIV clinic population in South Carolina using paper-and-pen, and online questionnaires. CSA was operationalized using six questions from the Early Trauma Inventory-Self Report Form (Yes vs. No). Opioid use was self-report of the use of opioids including: heroin, fentanyl, Oxycontin, Vicodin, codeine, morphine (used vs. never used). Nested crude and multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for sociodemographic confounders were used to determine the association between CSA and opioid use. After adjusting for race, gender, age, and education, OALH who were CSA survivors were 21 times more likely to currently use opioids compared to OALH who were not exposed to CSA (adjusted OR: 21.1; 95% CI: 1.78–250.0). The association seen between CSA history and opioid use may be due to unresolved trauma among OALH. Trauma-informed interventions addressing CSA may help to reduce opioid use among OALH.

Frequency of early childhood trauma in psychiatric patients: an investigation with the Early Trauma Inventory–Self Report

IntroductionChildhood trauma is an important public health problem but there are limitations in our ability to measure childhood trauma. Early Trauma Inventory is a self-report instrument for the assessment of childhood trauma that is valid but simple to administer.ObjectivesWe aimed to assess the frequency of childhood trauma in patients of a large sample of the Crisis Intervention and Psychiatric Ward in Budapest, Hungary.MethodsData from 279 patients referred to Péterfy Alexander Hospital, Crisis Intervention and Psychiatric Ward, Budapest, Hungary, were analyzed. Most participants were female (n = 202, 72.4%) between the ages of 17 and 86 (M = 38.37 yrs). Half of the participants were diagnosed with major depressive disorder (n = 138, 49.5%) or anxiety disorder (n = 149, 53.4%), while 47 of the participants suffered from bipolar disorder (16.8%). One hundred thirty-eight participants had at least one suicide attempt in their life (49.5%). Childhood traumas were assessed by the Early Trauma Inventory– Self Report (ETI-SR), an instrument for the assessment of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as general traumas, which measures frequency, onset, emotional impact, and other variables. We assessed the most frequent traumas in the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as general trauma domains.ResultsFamily mental illness (n = 136, 58.1%), witnessing violence (n = 129, 54.7%), divorce/separation of parents (n = 114, 48.3%), and observing death/serious injury of others (n = 112, 47.5%), were the most frequently experienced general traumas. Out of physical traumas, most of the participants experienced being slapped in the face (n = 169, 73.2%), being spanked with a hand (n = 152, 65.5%), being hit or spanked with an object (n = 93, 40.3%), and being pushed or shoved (n = 81, 33.4%). Among emotional traumas, being often put down or ridiculed (n = 170, 74.2%), the needs being failed to be understood by parents (n = 164, 72.7%), often shouted at or yelled at (n = 154, 67.5%), and being often ignored or made feel like they do not count (n = 109, 46.2%) were the most frequent. From the sexual abuse domain, being exposed to flashing (n = 72, 32.9%), being touched in intimate parts in an uncomfortable way (n = 63, 29.2%), being exposed to inappropriate comments about sex (n = 61, 28.5%), and being rubbed by someone’s genitals (n = 44, 20.3%) were the most common. Further results will be presented at the conference.ConclusionsIt is already recognized and our study also confirms that childhood maltreatment, especially sexual abuse can lead to suicidal behaviour. The precise role of particular types of childhood maltreatment and the mediators of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and suicide is yet to be investigated in more details.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

A first look at childhood abuse in women with obstructive sleep apnea

Study objectivesWomen who experienced childhood sexual abuse have higher rates of obesity, a risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We assessed if prior childhood sexual abuse was more common in women with OSA vs. those in the control group, with possible mediation by obesity.MethodsIn a secondary analysis of a larger project, we studied 21 women with OSA (age mean ± SD 59 ± 12 years, body mass index [BMI] 33 ± 8 kg/m2, respiratory event index [REI] 25 ± 16 events/hour, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS] score 8 ± 5) and 21 women without OSA (age 53 ± 9 years, BMI 25 ± 5 kg/m2, REI [in 7/21 women] 1 ± 1 events/hour, and ESS score, 5 ± 3). We evaluated four categories of trauma (general, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse) with the Early Trauma Inventory Self-Report–Short Form (ETISR-SF). We assessed group differences in trauma scores with independent samples t-tests and multiple regressions. Parametric Sobel tests were used to model BMI as a mediator for individual trauma scores predicting OSA in women.ResultsEarly childhood sexual abuse reported on the ETISR-SF was 2.4 times more common in women with vs. without OSA (p = 0.02 for group difference). Other trauma scores were not significantly different between women with and without OSA. However, BMI was a significant mediator (p = 0.02) in predicting OSA in women who experienced childhood physical abuse.ConclusionChildhood sexual abuse was more common in women with vs. without OSA. BMI was a mediator for OSA of childhood physical but not sexual abuse. This preliminary hypothesis-generating study suggests that there may be physiological impacts of childhood trauma in women that predispose them to OSA.

Development and Validation of the Criminal Thinking Scale (CTS)

This study aimed the development and validation of the Criminal Thinking Scale (CTS), an assessment tool for measuring criminal thinking patterns. Two hundred and seventy institutionalised inmates participated in the study by responding to a survey comprising items of the Criminal Thinking Scale developed in this study. Additionally, the Texas Christian University Criminal Thinking Scale (Cronbach’s α = .84), Early Trauma Inventory Self-Report (Cronbach’s α = .89), Parenting Style Inventory-II (Cronbach’s α = .75) were administered as well for construct validity purposes. The result of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) confirmed the presence of three components of criminal thinking among items of the Criminal Thinking Scale which were labelled as morality averseness, rationalisation, and retaliatory reasoning with reliability Cronbach’s alpha of .87, .78, .76 respectively. The overall reliability yielded Cronbach’s alpha of .92. In addition, the Criminal Thinking Scale demonstrated concurrent validity with similar measures, that is, Texas Christian University Criminal Thinking Scale [r = .31, p < .01] and showed discriminant validity with Parenting Style Inventory-II [r = -.06, p > .05] and the Early Trauma Inventory Self-Report [r = .07, p > .05]. The study concluded that CTS is a valid and reliable measure of criminal thinking.

EARLY TRAUMA INVENTORY-SELF REPORT SHORT FORM: TURKISH ADAPTATION AND PSYCHOMETRIC ANALYSIS FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

The aim of this study is to adapt the Early Trauma Inventory-Self Report Short Form to Turkish and test its validity and reliability for university students. The inventory was translated, and the Turkish form was finalised. The first study group, whose data were used to conduct the confirmatory factor analysis regarding the scale, consisted of 350 undergraduate, and graduate students from 14 different universities in the fall semester of the 2021-2022 academic year; 270 of whom were female and 80 of whom were male. In data analysis, descriptive statistics were calculated; confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analyses were performed. Since Early Trauma Inventory Short Form is an inventory consisting of sub-scales, a separate confirmatory factor analysis was performed for each sub-scale of Turkish version. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model data fit of the general trauma subscale was “good,” and it was “perfect” for the physical, emotional, and sexual abuse subscales. Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficients and test-re-test correlations were found to be satisfactory. Results show that the Early Trauma Inventory-Self Report Short Form is a valid and reliable tool to use in determining early childhood trauma.

The impact of childhood trauma on perceived stress and personality in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: A cross-sectional network analysis

ObjectiveLittle is known about the role of childhood experiences in the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the influence of childhood experiences on personality, behavior, and perceived stress may vary between OCD patients and healthy individuals. The objective of this study was to use network analysis to explore the relationship between childhood trauma, personality, perceived stress, and symptom dimensions, thus finding the difference between patients' and healthy people's network. Methods488 patients with OCD and 210 healthy volunteers were recruited. All of them were assessed with the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory - Revised (OCI-R), the Perceived Stress Scale-10, the NEO Five-Factor Inventory and the Early Trauma Inventory Self-Report Short Form. Network analysis was conducted and the centrality indices were calculated. Network comparison test was performed. ResultsIn patients' network, the Obsession and the Ordering behavior were the most important nodes among the OCI-R. The perceived stress showed the strongest strength centrality of all nodes and positive correlation with the Obsession and Neuroticism. Network comparison test results indicated a statistically significant difference between network structure, and post-hoc analysis found five edges significantly differed between patients and healthy controls, mainly on Obsession and Washing behaviors. ConclusionsEmotional abuse was considered significant in both networks due to its higher strength centrality. Meanwhile, perceived stress was found to be more significant in the patient network and exhibited stronger associations with obsession. The obsessive thoughts and washing behavior were different among patients and healthy controls, which brought new understanding to the pathopsychological mechanisms of OCD.

0862 Effect of meditation and relaxation on physiological markers of stress and sleep

Abstract Introduction Both breathing based meditation (interoceptive) and relaxation by improving blood circulation using heat and massage (exteroceptive) are known to reduce physiological stress. In this study, we determined the effect of stress-reduction on sleep. Our main population of interest was peri- and post- menopausal women who may develop sleep disorders correlated with early-life physical abuse. Methods 20 adults (15 peri- and post-menopausal females), 13 with high risk of sleep apnea (determined by Berlin questionnaire, age mean±SEM, 54±3 years, waist-by-neck 2.6±0.07, BMI 26±1 kg/m2, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) Scale 5.71±1.23, Generalized Anxiety (GAD-7) Score 5.33±1.22, Early Trauma Inventory Self-Report Short Form (ETISR-SF)physical 3±0.17. Dreem3 headband was used to get breathing rate (BR), sleep efficiency, sleep staging. Plethysmography was used to obtain mean and nadir oxygen saturation %, heart rate (HR), oxygen desaturation (4%) event index (ODI). BMI, age, waist/neck were recorded. Baseline sleep measures were compared against sleep after administration of 10 minutes rest, 10 minutes relaxation and 10 minutes of Ujjayi pranayama with repeats of 4 in-, 4 hold-, 6 out- breaths. ETISR-physical was correlated with all measures. Paired t-tests were conducted on sleep measures at baseline and after meditation/relaxation. One-sample t-tests were conducted on average % changes during meditation/relaxation compared to rest. Results Early-life physical trauma correlated positively with BR during REM sleep (Pearson R= 0.68). Deep sleep significantly (p=0.04) increased by 5% on the sleep after meditation/relaxation. Both meditation and relaxation techniques significantly (p< 0.01) lowered HR by 1.5% and 4.5%, and BR by 20% and 15% respectively during Ujjayi pranayama and relaxation. We observed significant increase (p< 0.05) in oxygen saturation with the Ujjayi pranayama by 0.3%. Conclusion Early-life physical abuse was correlated with faster breathing during REM sleep validating existing literature. Both HR and BR were reduced during meditation and relaxation techniques, thus validating their stress-reduction effects. % of deep sleep improved on the night when meditation/relaxation session was administered. Mind-body practices could improve deep sleep if practiced regularly even in peri- and post-menopausal women having early-life physical abuse trauma. Support (if any) Sleep Research Society (SRS) Small Research Grant 2022.

ChildhoodTraumatic Experience, Attachment Quality, and Parenting Styleas Predicting Factors of Psychopathic Behaviour

The objective of this study was to investigate how childhoodtraumatic experiences, attachment qualities with parents and peers and perceived parenting style contribute to psychopathic behaviours among inmates. A sizeof 270 institutionalised participantsresponded to a questionnaire comprising items from the Levenson’s Self Report Psychopathy (LSRP, α = .83), Early Trauma Inventory Self-Report Short Form (Cronbach’s α = .89), Parenting Style Inventory-II (Cronbach’s α = .75),and Inventory of Parent and Peers Attachments (Cronbach’s α = .83).The results showed that early childhood experiences of sexual abuse showed significant prediction of psychopathy[β =.24, t = 2.63, p <.05].Alienation in attachment quality significantlypredicted psychopathy[β = -.19, t = 3.01, p < .01]. Similarly, parenting style autonomy-grantingsignificantly predicted psychopathy [β = .25, t = 3.64, p < .01]. The study concludes that the experience of childhood trauma, the quality of attachment and parenting style could have implication for psychopathic behaviour pattern

DNA Methylation Profiles of the DRD2 and NR3C1 Genes in Patients with Recent-Onset Psychosis.

Objectives Dopamine receptor D2 gene (DRD2) and glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) are implicated in the development of psychosis. We investigated methylation levels of DRD2 and NR3C1 in peripheral blood of patients with recent-onset (RO) psychosis using bisulfite pyrosequencing as well as its association with childhood trauma and rumination. Methods In all, 51 individuals with RO psychosis and 47 healthy controls were recruited. DNA methylation levels in the targeted regions of two genes were analyzed and compared. Childhood trauma and rumination were evaluated using the Early Trauma Inventory Self-Report Short Form (ETI-SF) and Brooding Scale (BS), respectively. Correlations between the scores of the ETI-SF and BS and methylation levels were explored. Results For DRD2, we found no significant differences between groups in terms of methylation level or association with childhood trauma or rumination. For NR3C1, we found a trend level significance for average value of all CpG sites and significant hypermethylation or hypomethylation at specific sites. There was also a significant positive correlation between the methylation level at the CpG8 site of NR3C1 exon 1F and negative symptom subscale score of the PANSS (PANSS-N). Conclusion Epigenetic alterations of NR3C1 are associated with the pathophysiology of psychosis. Further epigenetic studies will elucidate the molecular mechanisms underpinning the pathophysiology of psychosis.

Child Maltreatment and Inflammatory Response to Mental Stress Among Adults Who Have Survived a Myocardial Infarction.

Experiences of child maltreatment are associated with cardiovascular risk and disease in adulthood; however, the mechanisms underlying these associations are poorly understood. We examined associations between retrospectively self-reported exposure to child maltreatment (Early Trauma Inventory Self-Report Short Form) and inflammatory responses to mental stress among adults (mean age = 50 years) who recently had a myocardial infarction ( n = 227). Inflammation was assessed as blood interleukin-6 (IL-6), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 concentrations, measured before and after a standardized public speaking stress task. We used mixed linear regression models adjusting for cardiovascular disease severity, medication usage, and psychosocial, demographic, and life-style factors. In women, increases in IL-6 levels and MMP-9 levels with stress were smaller in those exposed to sexual abuse, relative to those unexposed (IL-6 geometric mean increases = 1.6 [95% confidence interval {CI} = 1.4-1.9] pg/ml versus 2.1 [95% CI = 1.8-2.4] pg/ml; MMP-9 geometric mean increases = 1.0 [95% CI = 0.9-1.2] ng/ml versus 1.2 [95% CI = 1.1-1.4] ng/ml). No differences were noted for emotional or physical abuse. By contrast in men, individuals exposed to sexual abuse had larger IL-6 responses than those not exposed to abuse. These findings suggest sex differences in stress response among survivors of a myocardial infarction exposed to abuse early in life. They also underscore the importance of examining sex as an effect modifier of relationships between exposure to early life adversity and inflammatory responses to mental stressors in midlife.

The mediating role of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in the relationship between childhood trauma and suicidality among adolescents: a structural equation model

BackgroundThe objective of this study is to investigate the direct and indirect effects of childhood trauma, internalizing symptoms, and externalizing symptoms on suicidality among adolescents, thereby establishing a structural equation model.MethodsThe present study uses a cross-sectional descriptive design. Among 147 adolescents aged 12–17, 93 outpatients diagnosed with major depressive disorder and 54 controls were included in the study. They completed the Early Trauma Inventory Self-Report (Short Form) and Columbia Suicidality Severity Rating Scale. Their parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist. Analyses were performed using Pearson’s correlation and structural equation modelling.ResultsChildhood trauma had both direct and indirect effects, via internalizing symptoms and externalizing symptoms, on suicidality. Internalizing symptoms had a direct effect on suicidality. Meanwhile, externalizing symptoms were not directly associated with suicidality, but indirectly associated via internalizing symptoms.ConclusionsFindings provide in-depth understanding of the mediating role of internalizing symptoms and externalizing symptoms in the relationship between childhood trauma and suicidality, suggesting that the therapeutic interventions for both internalizing symptoms and externalizing symptoms may be important to prevent suicide in adolescents with childhood trauma.

Psychometric properties of the Adulthood Trauma Inventory.

Psychological trauma is an important public health problem, but previous measurement tools have primarily focused on childhood traumatic events while trauma exposure in adulthood (>18 years of age) has received less attention. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of an instrument for assessment of psychological trauma in adulthood, the Adulthood Trauma Inventory (ATI). Participants (n = 893) completed the ATI, a 33-item questionnaire modeled after the Early Trauma Inventory-Self Report (ETI-SR), assessing traumatic events occurring after 18 years of age. Participants also completed instruments to assess depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and early trauma (ETI-SR). Internal consistency and item response theory metrics were examined. ATI total score (number of items endorsed) yielded the greatest internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .77) and was significantly (p < .0001) correlated with indices of PTSD (ρ = 0.40), depression (ρ = 0.31), and early trauma (ρ = 0.56). Area under the curve and accuracy values ranged from 0.65 and 70% (depression) to 0.75 and 95% (current PTSD). The ATI is a valid measure of adult psychological trauma that may be useful for both clinical assessment and research involving the long-term effects on the individual and psychobiology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Higher Rightward Laterality of the Hippocampal Tail and Its Association with Early Trauma in Panic Disorder.

ObjectiveEarly trauma (ET) is widely recognized as a contributing factor to the development of panic disorder (PD) in patients. However, there is a dearth of research on the specific volumes of hippocampal subregions and their laterality with respect to ET and PD.MethodsA total of 30 subjects with PD and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. All the subjects were evaluated by 3T-magnetic resonance imaging. FreeSurfer version 6.0 was used for volumetric analysis of the hippocampal subregions and their laterality. A shortened version of the Early Trauma Inventory Self Report (ETISR) as well as Anxiety Sensitivity Inventory-Revised (ASI-R), and Panic Disorder Severity Scale were utilized for analysis.ResultsMultivariate analysis of variance showed that the volume of the right hippocampal tail and laterality indices (LIs) of the hippocampal body and tail were significantly larger in subjects with PD relative to HCs. The significance of the observations remained unchanged after multivariate analysis of covariance, controlling for age, sex, years of education, medication, depressive symptoms, and intracranial volume as covariates. The LIs of the hippocampal tails that showed a significant correlation to ETISR emotional and physical subscales were also associated with ASI-R for cardiovascular symptoms in PD.ConclusionOur study displayed an increased rightward lateralization of the hippocampal tails in subjects with PD compared with HCs. This alteration in the brain, which was associated with early emotional and physical trauma, would negatively affect anxiety sensitivity to cardiovascular symptoms in subjects with PD.

Functional Diarrhoea in a Nigerian Community: Prevalence, Risk Factors and Associated Quality of Life

Introduction: Diarrhoea, in general, is well investigated but the epidemiology of Functional Diarrhoea (FDr) as a disease entity has not been adequately evaluated globally, and more especially, in the sub-Saharan African population. Aim: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of FDr, and the associated quality of life in a Nigerian community. Materials and Methods: The study was a community-based cross-sectional survey involving 515 consenting adults aged 18-70 years. Data collection was done from February to March 2019. Ten participants were excluded because of inappropriately filled questionnaires, thus leaving a total of 505 subjects. The research instrument contained sociodemographic information, the Rome IV Functional Bowel Disorder questionnaire, the Short Form 12, version 2 Health Survey (SF-12v2) questionnaire, the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Early Trauma Inventory-Self Report. Respondents who were positive for FDr were the cases while those who had no FDr were the controls in the data analysis. Independent Student t-test was used to compare means. The odds ratios of prospective risk factors of FDr were calculated with logistic regression. Odds Ratios (OR) &gt;1 and p-value ≤0.05 were considered significant. Results: The mean age of the participants was 32.7±12.9 years. Six participants {1.2% (95% CI, 0.4%-2.4%)} had FDr with a 1:2 Male/Female ratio. Functional diarrhoea had a statistically significant association with depression (18.0±12.8 vs 8.2±9.5, p-value=0.021) only among the possible risk factors considered. The mean SF-12v2 scale scores, except Vitality, were lower in subjects with FDr than the controls, though only Social Functioning was statistically significant (p-value=0.003). Conclusion: The prevalence of FDr is low in the present study population. The disease is associated with depression and it impacts the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) negatively.

Early Trauma Inventory Self-Report Short Form (ETISR-SF): validation of the Swedish translation in clinical and non-clinical samples

Purpose: Childhood trauma in an important public health concern, and there is a need for brief and easily administered assessment tools. The Early Trauma Inventory (ETI) is one such instrument. The aim of this paper is to test the psychometric properties of the Swedish translation of the short, self-rated version (ETISR-SF), and to further validate the instrument.Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 243 psychiatric patients from an open care unit in Sweden and 56 controls were recruited. Participants were interviewed and thereafter completed the ETISR-SF. Internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach’s alpha, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed and goodness-of-fit was determined. Intra Class Correlation (ICC) was used to calculate test-retest reliability. Discriminant validity between groups was gauged using the Mann–Whitney U-test.Results: Cronbach’s alpha varied between 0.55 and 0.76, with higher values in clinical samples than in controls. Of the four domains, general trauma showed a lower alpha than the other domains. The CFA confirmed the four-factor model previously seen and showed good to acceptable fit. The ICC value was 0.93, indicating good test–retest reliability. According to the Mann–Whitney U-test, the non-clinical sample differed significantly from the clinical sample, as did those with PTSD or borderline diagnosis from those without these diagnoses.Conclusions: The Swedish translation of the ETISR-SF was found to have similar psychometric properties as both the original version and translations. ETISR-SF scores could also distinguish between different diagnostic groups associated with various degrees of trauma, which supports its discriminant validity.

Propiedades psicométricas de la adaptación para Colombia del inventario de experiencias traumáticas en la infancia (ETI-SRCol)

Objective: Traumatic experiences during childhood are considered a risk factor for mental disorders in adulthood. There are difficulties to reliably and validly measure these experiences in the adult population. The purpose of this study was to develop the Colombian version of the Early Trauma Inventory Self-Report (ETI-SRCol) and to examine its psychometric properties. Methodology: 452 people (53.8% women) between 18 and 60 years of age from different social strata participated. The internal consistency of the instrument was analyzed, and the construct validity was estimated through factorial methods. Results: the final version of the Colombian adaptation of the ETI-SRCol is an 81-item, self-applied instrument, which measures the frequency, age of onset, emotional impact, and the severity of childhood traumatic events in five factors: sociopolitical violence, sexual abuse, physical and emotional abuse, general traumatic events, and poverty. This version showed an adequate internal consistency (α = 0.795) as well as the severity index of the trauma (α = 0.832). Conclusions: The ETI-SRCol is reliable to measure traumatic experiences in childhood, and may be applied at both the clinical and investigative level within the Colombian population.

Rates of childhood trauma in a sample of university students in Greece: The Greek version of the Early Trauma Inventory-Self Report.

The self-report Early Trauma Inventory (ETI-SR-SF) was developed by Bremner et al in 2007 and has been proven a valid tool for the assessment of childhood trauma. The inventory covers four types of traumatic experiences: general trauma, physical abuse, emotional abuse and sexual abuse. The primary aim of the present study was to assess the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity and factor structure of the Greek version of the ETI-SR-SF. The study sample consisted of 605 individuals (402 women), undergraduate and postgraduate students of Athens universities with a mean age of 24.3 years. All participants completed a questionnaire on demographic characteristics, the Greek version of the ETI-SR-SF and the Greek version of the Trauma Symptoms Checklist (TSC-40). Both ETI-SR-SF and TSC-40 were re-administered to 56 participants after three to four weeks. ETI-SR-SF was found to display high levels of internal consistency (Cronbach's α=0.91) and test-retest reliability (ICC=0.93). In addition, the internal structure of every subscale was examined by the means of factor analysis, which revealed that the items in every subscale contribute to a single factor explaining a great proportion of the variance. The correlation between total scores of ETI-SR-SF and TSC-40 was significantly strong (r=0.42, p<0.001), indicating satisfactory convergent validity. The most frequently reported type of childhood trauma was corporal punishment, at a rate of 89.9%, followed by emotional abuse (67.2%) and sexual abuse (27%). These rates are higher than those found in the international literature indicating that the various types of early traumatic experience are very common phenomena in the Greek student population. This finding should alert the experts and requires replication and further investigation by studies with larger samples. The findings of the present study suggest that the Greek version of the self-report Early Trauma Inventory (ETI-SR-SF) is a valid and reliable tool useful for future studies on childhood traumatic experiences in Greek populations. Moreover, according to our preliminary findings further investigation of the childhood trauma in Greece appears to be very much warranted.

Effect of childhood general traumas on suicide attempt depends on TPH2 and ADARB1 variants in psychiatric patients.

Suicidal behavior has been associated with a deficient serotonin neurotransmission which is likely a consequence of individual genetic architecture, exposure to environmental factors and interactions of those factors. We examined whether the interaction of child abuse, TPH2 (tryptophan hydroxylase 2) variant rs4290270, affecting alternative splicing and editing of TPH2 pre-mRNAs, and ADARB1 (adenosine deaminase acting on RNA B1) variants rs4819035 and rs9983925 may influence the risk for suicide attempt in psychiatric patients. TPH2 rs4290270 was genotyped in 165 suicide attempters and 188 suicide non-attempters diagnosed with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Genotyping data for ADARB1 variants were taken over from our previous study. Child abuse before the age of 18years was assessed using the Early Trauma Inventory-Self Report. Generalized linear models and backward selection were applied to identify the main and interacting effects of environmental and genetic factors, including psychiatric diagnoses, patients' gender and age as covariates. Childhood general traumas were independently associated with suicide attempt. Two-way interaction between TPH2 rs4290270 and general traumas revealed that TT homozygotes with a history of general traumas had an increased risk for suicide attempt. Three-way interaction of general traumas, TPH2 rs4290270 and ADARB1 rs4819035 indicated that the highest predisposition to suicide attempt was observed in individuals who experienced general traumasand were TT homozygote for rs4290270 and TT homozygote for rs4819035. Our findings suggest that the risk for suicide attempt in psychiatric patients exposed to an adverse childhood environment may depend on TPH2 and ADARB1 variants.

Chronic pelvic pain, psychiatric disorders and early emotional traumas: Results of a cross sectional case-control study.

AIMTo compare the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and early emotional traumas between women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and healthy women.METHODSOne hundred women in reproductive age, 50 of them had CPP (according to the criteria set by the International Association for Study of Pain), and 50 were considered healthy after the gynecological evaluation. The eligibility criteria were defined as follows: chronic or persistent pain perceived in the pelvis-related structures (digestive, urinary, genital, myofascial or neurological systems). Only women in reproductive age with acyclic pain for 6 mo, or more, were included in the present study. Menopause was the exclusion criterion. The participants were grouped according to age, school level and socio-economic status and were individually assessed through DSM-IV Structured Clinical Interview (SCID-I) and Early Trauma Inventory Self-report - short form (ETISR-SF Brazilian version). Descriptive statistics, group comparison tests and multivariate logistics regression were used in the data analysis.RESULTSThe early emotional traumas are highly prevalent, but their prevalence did not differ between the two groups. The current Major Depressive Disorder was more prevalent in women with CPP. The CPP was associated with endometriosis in 48% of the women. There was no difference in the prevalence of disorders when endometriosis was taken into account (endometriosis vs other diseases: P > 0.29). The current Major Depressive Disorder and the Bipolar Disorder had greater occurrence likelihood in the group of women with CPP (ODDS = 5.25 and 9.0).CONCLUSIONThe data reinforce the link between mood disorders and CPP. The preview evidences about the association between CPP and early traumas tended not to be significant after a stronger methodological control was implemented.

Childhood traumatic events and types of auditory verbal hallucinations in first-episode schizophrenia patients

ObjectiveEvidence is accumulating that childhood trauma might be associated with higher severity of positive symptoms in patients with psychosis and higher incidence of psychotic experiences in non-clinical populations. However, it remains unknown whether the history of childhood trauma might be associated with particular types of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH). MethodWe assessed childhood trauma using the Early Trauma Inventory Self-Report — Short Form (ETISR-SF) in 94 first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients. Lifetime psychopathology was evaluated using the Operational Criteria for Psychotic Illness (OPCRIT) checklist, while symptoms on the day of assessment were examined using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Based on ETISR-SF, patients were divided into those with and without the history of childhood trauma: FES(+) and FES(−) patients. ResultsFES(+) patients had significantly higher total number of AVH types and Schneiderian first-rank AVH as well as significantly higher PANSS P3 item score (hallucinatory behavior) in comparison with FES(−) patients. They experienced significantly more frequently third person AVH and abusive/accusatory/persecutory voices. These differences remained significant after controlling for education, PANSS depression factor score and chlorpromazine equivalent. Linear regression analysis revealed that the total number of AVH types was predicted by sexual abuse score after controlling for above mentioned confounders. This effect was significant only in females. ConclusionOur results indicate that the history of childhood trauma, especially sexual abuse, is associated with higher number AVH in females but not in males. Third person AVH and abusive/accusatory/persecutory voices, representing Schneiderian first-rank symptoms, might be particularly related to childhood traumatic events.