Persecutory delusions and childhood emotional abuse in people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia

The present research assesses the frequency of self-reported childhood trauma in individuals with and without persecutory delusions. Comparisons are made between reported childhood emotional, physical and sexual trauma in adults with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, with (n = 36) and without (n = 23) persecutory delusions. Those with persecutory delusions reported significantly higher levels of emotional abuse and there was a trend towards higher levels of emotional neglect. No differences emerged on total trauma score, physical abuse, physical neglect and sexual abuse. The study suggests that over and above a general association between childhood trauma and positive symptoms of psychosis, there may exist a specific link between persecutory delusions and childhood emotional abuse.