Psychotic symptoms in post traumatic stress disorder: a case illustration and literature review

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition being increasingly recognized. The diagnosis is based on the re-experiencing of a traumatic event. There have been reports of the presence of psychotic symptoms in some cases of PTSD. This may represent increased severity or a different diagnostic clinical entity. It has also been suggested that psychotic symptoms may be over-represented in the Hispanic population. In this manuscript, we describe a case to illustrate this relationship and we review the current literature on the relationship of psychotic symptoms among PTSD patients. The implications regarding diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis are discussed.

Keywords: Psychosis; PTSD; Trauma; Hallucinations; Delusions; Posttraumatic stress disorder

SA Psych Rev 2003;6: 21-24