Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Schizophrenia: A Case Study

Fleming, Mick P; Martin, Colin R

Abstract

The trends that are emerging from the literature point to a relationship between trauma exposure, posttraumatic stress, and schizophrenia. People with schizophrenia are at more risk of being exposed to a number of traumas and are more likely to experience the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There is a dose-response relationship between trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, and the risk of developing schizophrenia symptoms. There also appears to be a cumulative effect of trauma exposure on the severity of schizophrenia symptoms. Many people with schizophrenia are experiencing comorbid PTSD symptoms as well as the symptoms of schizophrenia; they may also be experiencing more severe and intrusive schizophrenia symptoms as a consequence of trauma exposure and response. The stress vulnerability model offers a dynamic framework to understand the dynamic interplay of biopsychosocial vulnerability factors with trauma/stress responses and the schizophrenia symptoms that develop from this interplay.

Citation

Fleming, M. P., & Martin, C. R. (2015). Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Schizophrenia: A Case Study. In C. R. Martin, V. R. Preedy, & V. B. Patel (Eds.), Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (1-8). Springer Science + Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08613-2_125-1

• Acceptance Date: Jan 1, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Sep 9, 2015
• Publication Date: 2015
• Deposit Date: Aug 5, 2016
• Pages: 1-8
• Book Title: Comprehensive Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• ISBN: 978-3-319-08613-2
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08613-2_125-1
• Keywords: Schizophrenia Trauma, PTSD, positive symptoms, hyperarousal, stress, vulnerability model,
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/328982