Childhood adverse events in Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas: a discriminant function

The aim of the present study is to evaluate the association between childhood adverse events and the diagnosis of lymphoma, while also taking into account the type of lymphoma. One hundred three patients (59 females; mean age 55.2±15.6 years) and 103 healthy control subjects matched for age, gender, and education were enrolled. Childhood adverse events were assessed through the Florence Psychiatric Interview and the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire. Of the 103 patients included in the study, 53 had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and 50 withnon-Hodgkin lymphoma. Patients with lymphoma displayed higher frequencies of childhood adverse events than controls.The discriminant function model satisfied assumption criteria and was significant (Wilks lambda (^)=.58, p<.001).The frequency of early adversities did not differ between the Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin groups.This is the first study thatinvestigatesthe possible relationship between childhood trauma and incidence of lymphoma in adulthood.