Childhood Maltreatment and Its Association with Cognitive Ability in Young People Suspected to Be at Clinical High Risk of Psychosis.

Childhood physical abuse in particular was associated with poorer performance on verbal memory and processing speed across both groups of CHR and CC with subthreshold CHR symptoms. This adds to the current literature on reduced cognitive abilities when childhood maltreatment had occurred, albeit subtype dependent. Our findings, together with high prevalence rates of childhood maltreatment in patients with psychosis or CHR states, along with the presence of cognitive deficits in these patients, highlight the importance of not only assessing cognition but also childhood maltreatment in managing these patients. Future research should investigate the specific biological mechanisms of childhood maltreatment on verbal memory and processing speed in CHR subjects, as neurobiological alterations might explain the underlying mechanisms.