Specificity of association between adversities and the occurrence and co-occurrence paranoia and hallucinations: Evaluating the stability of childhood risk in an adverse adult environment

A recent general population study demonstrated specificity of association between particular forms of childhood adversity and particular psychotic experiences. This study sought to test the stability of this specificity in an adverse adult environment context using data from the Survey of Psychiatric Morbidity among Prisoners in England and Wales. Multivariate analysis showed that specific adversities predicted specific psychotic experiences. Bullying produced the highest odds ratio for paranoia (OR = 1.99), which was also predicted by being raised in institutional care (OR = 1.49). Sexual abuse produced the highest odds ratio for hallucinations (OR = 2.37). Sexual abuse and bullying produced the highest increased odds ratios for experiencing co-occurring paranoia and hallucinations (OR = 2.80) and (OR = 2.42), respectively.