In our master´s thesis we investigated two variables, schizophrenia and early family trauma and tried to determine if there is any connection between them or if we can talk about the impact of early family trauma on the development of schizophrenia later in adult life. To find this out, we were interested in whether people with schizoprenia experienced family related trauma in early childhood. As a research method we contucted a systematic review of the existing literature on schizophrenia and early life trauma and tried to discover if schizophrenic patients in early childhood often faced family trauma. A total of 11 studies were included with both, quantitative and qualitative research approach. Studies have shown that early family trauma, also known as relational trauma, is an important risk factor for developing schizophrenia because it can significatly affects some structural and functional changes in the brain. Results also have shown, that exposure to family trauma at an early age can result in several neurostructural changes, such as (and most commonly) the reduction of hippocampus, decreased density and volume of the prefrontal cortex, decreased volume of gray matter and increased amygdala activity. Despite this, it is difficult to talk about the direct influence of early family trauma on the development of schizophrenia later in adult life. This is because schizophrenia is a product of several factors, both genetic predisposition and stressful enviromental impact, which includes more than just childhood trauma, but also poverty, difficult pregnancy, drug abuse etc. Nevertheless, from researching we see early family trauma as really important risk factor for development of schizophrenia in adult life.
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