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.