The impact of adverse childhood experiences on coping strategies in schizophrenia spectrum disorders : a case-control study

Purpose: Several studies have shown that individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD) employ ineffective coping styles. However, it remains unknown whether a history of adverse childhood experiences (AC Es), associated with a risk of SSD, contributes to these observations. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate whether exposure to ACEs is associated with coping styles in subjects with SSD.

Patients and Methods: We recruited 127 inpatients with SSD and 56 healthy controls. Coping styles and ACEs were recorded using self-reports.

Results: Individuals with SSD had significantly higher use of using avoidance coping. A history of parental antipathy, physical and sexual abuse was significantly more frequent in subjects with SSD compared to controls. Subjects with SSD had significantly higher multiplicity and severity of ACEs. Individuals with SSD and a history of parental loss had significantly higher use of avoidance coping compared to controls with and without a history of parental loss. Other characteristics of ACEs (age at first exposure, severity and multiplicity) were not associated with using specific coping strategies.

Conclusion: These findings imply that higher use of using avoidance coping by individuals with SSD might be related to a history of parental loss.