A prospective study of PTSD following recovery from first‐episode psychosis: The threat from persecutors, voices, and patienthood

Abstract

It may be that retrospective studies have overestimated the influence of candidate appraisals in predicting PTSD. It might also be that assessments made during the acute phase of psychosis preceded a key phase of psychological processing that takes place during the immediate aftermath of the psychotic episode. A staged prospective design is required to uncover the true impact of psychosis on PTSD.

Recovery and adaptation after first-episode psychosis: The relevance of posttraumatic growth

“…FEP participants were interviewed 3-6 months after their acute episode (Time 1) to ensure some resolution of the episode and 3-4 months after the first interview (Time 2). Three to six months after the acute episode is also considered early recovery (Early Psychosis Guidelines Writing Group, 2010) and a period of adjustment (Brunet, Birchwood, Upthegrove, Michail, & Ross, 2012). Significant others and clinicians were interviewed at Time 2 on average 7 days after FEP participants' interviews.…”

Trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder and psychosis: etiopatho­genic and nosological implications

“…Together, these data have posed the question of what variables could be modulating the relationship between these variables and PTSD. In this sense, current findings suggest that the presence of PTSD in subjects with first psychotic episodes is higher if 1) they have a previous history of trauma, 2) use dysfunctional assessment and coping strategies in front of stress (e.g., experience of uncontrollability), and 3) show comorbid depressive symptoms 4,[82][83][84][88][89][90] .…”

“…On the other hand, within this unidirectional theory, a series of mainly cross-sectional studies have aimed at determining the risk of having PTSD as a result of psychosis onset, a fact called PP-PTSD 4 . On this issue, many studies with clinical samples of subjects with first psychotic episodes showed that the prevalence of PTSD ranges from 11% to 67%, being diagnosed in a third of patients assessed on average 4,[82][83][84][85][86][87][88] .…”

“…On this issue, many studies with clinical samples of subjects with first psychotic episodes showed that the prevalence of PTSD ranges from 11% to 67%, being diagnosed in a third of patients assessed on average 4,[82][83][84][85][86][87][88] . Two variables have been identified as potential precursors of this post-traumatic condition: positive symptoms and the type of psychiatric admission (e.g., voluntary vs. involuntary).…”

“…On the one hand, from an etiopathogenic perspective, many empirical studies have been carried out in relation to the role of childhood trauma (CT) as a predispositional factor for schizophrenia or psychotic-like symptoms in adulthood 2 . On the other hand, concerning the relationship between PTSD and psychosis, the existence of a subgroup of subjects with PTSD with secondary psychotic features (PTSD-SP) has been considered 3 , as well as other patients with postpsychotic PTSD (PP-PTSD) 4 .…”