THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF TRAUMATIC REACTIONS TO PSYCHOTIC ILLNESS

This study investigated whether a psychotic illness was associated wit h posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology in 45 subjects r ecovering from hospitalization for a psychotic episode. Previous studi es have suggested that the experience of psychosis and hospitalization is distressing and that PTSD may be a useful paradigm for the psychol ogical response. Subjects were given questionnaires to evaluate PTSD s ymptoms, anxiety symptoms, and distress and intrusive memories associa ted with aspects of treatment and psychosis. Treatment, especially exp eriences involving a loss of control such as detention, and psychotic symptoms, particularly persecutory delusions, passivity phenomena, and visual hallucinations, were perceived as highly distressing. Twenty-t wo subjects (52%) met the criteria for a postpsychotic PTSD, with impl ications for recognition and management of secondary morbidity related to psychosis.