The Trauma of Psychosis

Individuals diagnosed with psychosis can experience traumatic reactions to events directly related to the experience of psychosis (i.e. Post-psychotic PTSD) or events independent of psychosis (i.e. PTSD comorbid to psychosis). This book conducts a review of research studies that have investigated these two different phenomena. In particular, experiencing Post-psychotic PTSD appears to be strongly associated with depression, anxiety and individuals' appraisals about psychotic symptoms and psychiatric admissions. The author presents new findings demonstrating that Post-psychotic PTSD is associated with: being fearful about psychosis recurring; being intolerant of uncertainty; and making negative appraisals about paranoia. The Fear of Recurrence Scale (Gumley & Schwannauer, 2006) is highlighted as a quick and effective way of identifying individuals with Post-psychotic PTSD. A case example of an individual presenting with Post-psychotic PTSD is described, and a psychological intervention based on Compassion Focused Therapy is proposed as a potential treatment for traumatic reactions to the experience of psychosis.