Childhood trauma in bipolar affective disorder: A case control study.

Background: The etiology of Bipolar Affective Disorder (BPAD) is influenced by a variety of factors, possibly related to gene-environment interactions. Childhood trauma (CT) has been associated with an increased risk of developing BPAD. It also impacts the course of illness. The association of subcomponents of CT with BPAD and its various characteristics has not been studied in detail.

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the association of CT with BPAD and compare it with age and sex-matched healthy controls.

Materials And Methods: Fifty cases of BPAD diagnosed as per International Classification Diseases 10 (Diagnostic Criteria for Research) and 50 years age and sex-matched healthy control were studied. The required sample size was 38. Assessment of CT was done using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and statistical methods were applied.

Results: Among all cases of BPAD, 38 (76%) cases had experienced moderate to severe CT as compared to 10 (20%) of controls. This was statistically significant. All subtypes of CT were significantly associated with BPAD as compared to healthy controls. Among subtypes, emotional abuse had the highest association with BPAD (odds ratio 7.37, confidence interval 1.98-27.31).

Conclusion: CT is significantly associated with BPAD. All subtypes of CT are associated with BPAD and among them, emotional abuse appeared to exert the biggest impact. A multicentric study with larger sample sizes will further substantiate this finding regarding subtypes.