Abstract: Objective · To explore the relationship between different dimensions of childhood trauma and positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Methods · A total of 124 patients with schizophrenia were recruited at Shanghai Mental Health Center. Childhood trauma was evaluated by the Early Trauma Inventory Short Form (ETI-SF), and psychotic symptoms were evaluated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Pearson correlation analysis and Gaussian graphical model (GGM) were used to examine the relationship between 4 dimensions of ETI-SF and the scores of 3 subscales or total 30 items of PANSS. Results · There was a significant correlation between subscales of positive symptoms and physical abuse (r=0.29, P=0.000) or emotional abuse (r=0.21, P=0.024) after controlling age, sex and other confounding factors. All dimensions of ETI-SF were related to different items of positive symptom scale. GGM results also verified that physical and emotional abuse were strongly correlated with the positive symptoms in schizophrenia. In addition, the degree centrality value of active social avoidance was the biggest through the whole network. Conclusion · Childhood trauma is related to positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Physical abuse and emotional abuse are significantly related to the positive symptoms. Active social avoidance plays an important role in the whole network.

Key words: childhood trauma, schizophrenia, correlation, Gaussian graphical model, network analysis, degree centrality