Childhood Trauma As a Mediator of the Association Between Autistic Traits and Psychotic Experiences: Evidence From the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children Cohort.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Little is known on whether associations between childhood autistic traits and psychotic experiences persist into adulthood and whether genetic confounding and childhood trauma influence them. Here we investigate the associations between childhood autistic traits and psychotic experiences until young adulthood and assess the influence of schizophrenia polygenic risk and childhood traumatic experiences, using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) population-based birth cohort.

Study design

We used a measure of broad autistic traits (autism factor mean score), and four dichotomised measures of autistic traits capturing social communication difficulties (age 7), repetitive behaviours (age 5), sociability (age 3), and pragmatic language (age 9).

SUBMITTER: Dardani C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10016398 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature