The aetiology of postpsychotic posttraumatic stress disorder following a psychotic episode

This paper examines the aetiology of postpsychotic posttraumatic stress disorder (PP/PTSD) symptoms in a sample of participants who had been hospitalized following a psychotic episode. Forty two people hospitalized for a psychotic illness were interviewed during recovery to investigate whether a psychotic episode was associated with PTSD symptomatology. All participants found psychosis and hospitalization highly distressing. PP/PTSD symptoms were not associated with demographic factors, previous trauma, treatment, or insight. The PP/PTSD group reported more distress and intrusive memories associated with illness and treatment experiences and had higher scores for anxiety and dissociative symptoms. The development of PP/PTSD phenomenology was associated with the psychological distress of the experience.