Childhood trauma and self-stigma in mood disorders

Childhood maltreatment and mood disorders are associated and linked to self-stigma. In this study, we assessed the relationship between childhood trauma and self-stigma in patients with mood disorders. Patients with bipolar disorder (n ​= ​69) and unipolar disorder (n ​= ​111) were recruited from the Mood Disorders Unit of the Geneva University Hospitals in Switzerland. All participants underwent a semi-structured interview to assess mood disorder and fulfilled the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) scale and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). The results showed that overall self-stigma was not significantly different between the groups. Linear regression modeling revealed that the ISMI total score was significantly associated with the CTQ total score (estimate ​= ​0.01, p ​= ​0.045). Our findings support the assumption that childhood trauma promotes the development of self-stigma in patients with mood disorders. Therefore, this study underscores the importance of assessing childhood trauma in the management of self-stigma in patients with unipolar and bipolar disorder.