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Background and Objectives:
The relationship between trauma, post-trau- matic stress disorder (PTSD), and psychosis has promoted heterogeneous research lines, in both etiopathogenic and nosological areas. The main aim of this review is to provide a systematic framework that encompasses this theoretical gap in the literature.
Methods:
A literature research was carried out through PubMed and PsycINFO be- tween 1980 and May 2013. One hundred and thirteen articles were recruited. A first part of this review describes the role of trauma in the development of psychosis. The second part focuses on research about PTSD and psychosis.
Results : Longitudinal and cross-sectional studies with clinical and community samples confirm that childhood trauma (CT) is a vulnerability factor for schizophrenia and psy- chotic-like symptoms in adulthood. More empirical research is needed in order to assess the role of trauma as precipitant of acute psychosis. There is also preliminary evidence with cross-sectional samples that suggests that PTSD and psychosis are a risk factor for each other, with studies about post-psychotic PTSD (PP-PTSD) being outstanding. Final- ly, results from different comparative research studies postulate a subtype of PTSD with psychotic features (PTSD-SP).
Conclusions:
The role of trauma in psychosis is more conclusive as predispositional rather than as trigger factor. Nosological status of acute psychoses remains a focus of con- troversy unresolved. The association between PTSD and psychosis is complex, requiring more prospective research in order to determine causal relationships between these pathologies. Also, research in nosological status of PTSD-SP must encourage more com- parative studies not limited to neurobiological variables.
