Childhood Maltreatment, Educational Attainment, and IQ: Findings From a Multicentric Case-control Study of First-episode Psychosis (EU-GEI)
Authors: Sideli Lucia , Schimmenti Adriano , La Barbera Daniele , La Cascia Caterina , Ferraro Laura , Aas Monica , Alameda Luis , Velthorst Eva , Fisher Helen L , Caretti Vincenzo , Trotta Giulia , Tripoli Giada , Quattrone Diego , Gayer-Anderson Charlotte , Seminerio Fabio , Sartorio Crocettarachele , Marrazzo Giovanna , Lasalvia Antonio , Tosato Sarah , Tarricone Ilaria , Berardi Domenico , D’Andrea Giuseppe , Arango Celso , Arrojo Manuel , Bernardo Miguel , Bobes Julio , Sanjuán Julio , Santos Jose Luis , Menezes Paulo Rossi , Del-Ben Cristina Marta , Jongsma Hannah E , Jones Peter B , Kirkbride James B , Llorca Pierre-Michel , Tortelli Andrea , Pignon Baptiste , de Haan Lieuwe , Selten Jean-Paul , Van Os Jim , Rutten Bart P , Di Forti Marta , Morgan Craig , Murray Robin M ,   EU-GEI WP2 Group, Amoretti Silvia , Andreu-Bernabeu Álvaro , Baudin Grégoire , Beards Stephanie , Bonetto Chiara , Bonora Elena , Cabrera Bibiana , Carracedo Angel , Charpeaud Thomas , Costas Javier , Cristofalo Doriana , Cuadrado Pedro , Durán-Cutilla Manuel , Ferchiou Aziz , Fraguas David , Franke Nathalie , Frijda Flora , Llorente Cloe , Garcia-Portilla Paz , González Peñas Javier , Hubbard Kathryn , Jamain Stéphane , Jiménez-López Estela , Leboyer Marion , López Montoya Gonzalo , Lorente-Rovira Esther , M Díaz-Caneja Covadonga , Marcelino Loureiro Camila , Matteis Mario , Messchaart Elles , Moltó Ma Dolores , Mezquida Gisela , Moreno Carmen , Muratori Roberto , Juan Nacher , Parellada Mara , Pignon Baptiste , Rapado-Castro Marta , Ruggeri Mirella , Richard Jean-Romain , Rodríguez Solano José Juan , Sáiz Pilar A , Sánchez-Gutierrez Teresa , Sánchez Emilio , Schürhoff Franck , Seri Marco , Shuhama Rosana , Stilo Simona A , Termorshuizen Fabian , Tronche Anne-Marie , van Dam Daniella , van der Ven Elsje 
Published: January 2022

Background and hypothesis

Evidence suggests that childhood maltreatment (ie, childhood abuse and childhood neglect) affects educational attainment and cognition. However, the association between childhood maltreatment and Intelligence Quotient (IQ) seems stronger among controls compared to people with psychosis. We hypothesised that: the association between childhood maltreatment and poor cognition would be stronger among community controls than among people with first-episode of psychosis (FEP); compared to abuse, neglect would show stronger associations with educational attainment and cognition; the association between childhood maltreatment and IQ would be partially accounted for by other risk factors; and the association between childhood maltreatment, educational attainment, and IQ would be stronger among patients with affective psychoses compared to those with nonaffective psychoses.

Study Design

829 patients with FEP and 1283 community controls from 16 EU-GEI sites were assessed for child maltreatment, education attainment, and IQ.

Study Results

In both the FEP and control group, childhood maltreatment was associated with lower educational attainment. The association between childhood maltreatment and lower IQ was robust to adjustment for confounders only among controls. Whereas childhood neglect was consistently associated with lower attainment and IQ in both groups, childhood abuse was associated with IQ only in controls. Among both patients with affective and nonaffective psychoses, negative associations between childhood maltreatment and educational attainment were observed, but the crude association with IQ was only evident in affective psychoses.

Conclusions

Our findings underscore the role of childhood maltreatment in shaping academic outcomes and cognition of people with FEP as well as controls.