Trauma and the content of hallucinations and post-traumatic intrusions in first-episode psychosis

Abstract

Objective: Increasing evidence suggests experiences of childhood trauma may be causally related to the development of hallucinations. Cognitive theories of psychosis suggest post-traumatic intrusions to be a primary mechanism in this relationship. These theories predict that the content of hallucinations will be related to traumatic experiences; however, few studies have investigated this. This study examined the relationship between childhood trauma, the content of hallucinations, and the content of post-traumatic intrusions in a sample with first-episode psychosis. Methods: Sixty-six young people aged 15–25 experiencing a first episode of psychosis were recruited from an early intervention..