Association of homicide attempts with childhood traumatic experiences in patients with schizophrenia

Objective: It has been reported that childhood traumatic experiences have various adverse effects on the clinical course of schizophrenia and increases the tendency to violent behavior. In this study, it was aimed to investigate whether childhood traumatic experiences increase homicide, which is a special subtype of violent behavior in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Thirty patients with schizophrenia with a history of homicide, 30 patients with schizophrenia without a history of homicide and 30 healthy controls equivalent to patients in terms of age, sex and education were included in study. After diagnostic interview all subjects were given Sociodemographic Data Form and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale applied to patient groups. Results: Emotional abuse and emotional neglect and physical abuse subscales points of patients with a history of homicide were significantly higher than control group, no statistically significant difference was found between the patient groups with and without a history of homicide. There was no statistical significance in terms of any subscale score between the patients without homicidal history and control group. Conclusion: Childhood traumatic experiences may in-crease homicidal behavior with schizophrenia patients. In clinicians' daily practice, questioning childhood abuse in patients with schizophrenia may help to anticipate the risk of violence.