Abstract

Effective treatment of major mental illness in children, adolescents and adults poses a continuing challenge to psychiatry, and unaddressed childhood trauma plays an important role in this challenge. The aim of this communication is based on an earlier paper, is to highlight research that has been carried out on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and major mental illness, and the emphasis placed on treatment of mental illness almost exclusively with pharmacotherapy while paying lip-service to psychological therapies, including dynamic psychotherapy. This is in spite of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) Studies of 1998 and 2010, which demonstrate links between childhood trauma and mental illness. I have chosen to use depression as an example because of its common occurrence, increasing morbidity and cost to services globally.

Keywords: Trauma; Attachment; Pharmacotherapy; Psychotherapy; Mental illness