Oxytocin dysfunction in severe mental illnesses following adverse childhood experiences: a systematic review.

What It Covers

Researchers studied Oxytocin in this systematic review publication.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between SMIs among individuals with a history of childhood adversity and oxytocin dysregulation both at biochemical and genetic levels.

Why It Was Studied

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are recognized as a transdiagnostic risk factor for developing severe mental illnesses (SMIs), including schizophrenia (SCZ), major depressive disorder (MDD), or bipolar disorder (BD).

However, the specific associations and underlying mechanisms linking ACEs and SMIs remain unclear.

Who the Included Studies Covered

The researchers conducted a systematic review assessing OXT measurements or the role of OXT receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphisms in individuals with or without SMIs and a history of ACEs.

Comparisons were made between SMI groups and healthy controls (HCs).

How the Review Was Done

A comprehensive search of four databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and PubMed) was undertaken, adhering to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and the review protocol was registered in PROSPERO: CRD42024555819.

Data were extracted and appraised independently by two reviewers using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT).

Primary outcomes included group differences in ACE scores, a measure that reflects the type, quantity, and severity of childhood trauma.

The researchers also compared group differences in OXT levels, genotype frequencies of OXTR single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), thereby, exploring links between ACEs, OXT-OXTR signalling, and SMIs.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Adverse Childhood Experiences, Receptors, Oxytocin, Oxytocin, Major Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia and Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide.

Author keywords: OXTR, Severe mental illness and Single nucleotide polymorphisms.

What This Means in Plain Language

This is a systematic review of Oxytocin.

Results are reported in around 6 sentences of the abstract; we leave them to the paper itself rather than summarise them.

The publication is from 2026 (BMC psychiatry), a journal based in England.

More context: the Oxytocin compound page, all human trials.