Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice (2015), 88, 227–239
© 2014 The British Psychological Society
www.wileyonlinelibrary.com
Trauma in relation to psychosis and hospital
experiences: The role of past trauma and
attachment
Katherine Berry
1
*, Sarah Ford
1,2
, Lorna Jellicoe-Jones
2
and
Gillian Haddock
1
1
School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, UK
2
Medium Secure Psychological Services, Preston, UK
Objectives. We investigated rates of psychosis-related and hospital-related post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in people with psychosis in secure settings. We also
investigated relationships between PTSD symptoms and previous experiences of trauma
and adult attachment.
Method. Using a cross-sectional design, 50 participants from medium-secure and low-
secure settings were interviewed to identify distressing experiences related to psychosis
and hospitalization. PTSD symptoms related to those experiences, past trauma and
attachment were assessed using self-report measures.
Results. The combined rate of psychosis-related and hospital-related PTSD was 30%.
Twenty-four percent and 18% met criteria for psychosis-related and hospital-related
PTSD, respectively. Severity of psychosis was associated with both psychosis-related and
hospital-related PTSD symptoms. The prevalence of previous trauma was high, but
previous trauma was not significantly correlated with psychosis-related or hospital-
related PTSD symptoms. Anxiety in attachment relationships was significantly associated
with both psychosis-related PTSD symptoms and hospital-related PTSD symptoms.
Conclusions. This study adds to the growing body of research highlighting the
distressing nature of psychosis and the iatrogenic effects of treatments. It also highlights
the potentially important role of attachment styles in PTSD in psychosis.
Practitioner points
30% of patients met criteria for psychosis- or hospital-related PTSD.
Severity of psychosis was associated with PTSD symptoms.
Anxiety in attachment relationships was positively correlated with PTSD symptoms.
It is well established that the experiences of psychosis and hospitalization can be
distressing and these have been conceptualized as events that could lead to the onset or
maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Berry, Ford, Jellicoe-Jones, &
Haddock, 2013). PTSD in the context of psychosis is associated with worse outcomes
*Correspondence should be addressed to Katherine Berry, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, 2nd Floor
Zochonis Building, Brunswick Street, Manchester M13 9PL, UK (email: katherine.berry@manchester.ac.uk).
DOI:10.1111/papt.12035
227