Are Specific Early-Life Adversities Associated With Specific Symptoms of Psychosis?: A Patient Study Considering Just World Beliefs as a Mediator

Abstract

Epidemiological studies have suggested that there may be associations between specific adversities and specific psychotic symptoms. There is also evidence that beliefs about justice may play a role in paranoid symptoms. In this study, we determined whether these associations could be replicated in a patient sample and whether beliefs about a just world played a specific role in the relationship between adversity and paranoia. We examined associations between childhood trauma, belief in justice, and paranoia and hallucinatory experiences in 144 individuals: 72 individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorders and 72 comparison controls. There was a dose-response relationship between cumulative trauma and psychosis. When controlling for comorbidity between symptoms, childhood sexual abuse predicted hallucinatory experiences, and experiences of childhood emotional neglect predicted paranoia. The relationship between neglect and paranoia was mediated by a perception of personal injustice. The findings replicate in a patient sample previous observations from epidemiological research.

FIGURE 1

Illustration of the model used in the analysis. Covariates included age, sex, sexual abuse, and hallucinatory experiences. The mediating variables (personal BJW and general BJW) were regressed onto the IV–emotional neglect variable (path a). The DVs (paranoia) were regressed onto the mediating variables (path b), and the DVs were also regressed onto the IV (path c′) simultaneously. The effects of all model variables were linear regression estimates. Please note the color represents the significant mediator.