ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study is to explore the association between combat experience and the occurrence of delusional-like beliefs. It is hypothesized that negative post-trauma appraisals and positive beliefs about paranoia will be associated with vulnerability to delusional ideas and that veterans who meet criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will be more likely to hold delusional-like ideas. DESIGN: A small-scale survey design was employed in order to ensure that detailed information was gathered concerning battle exposure. METHODS: Forty-one British war veterans completed questionnaires relating to combat experience, delusional ideation, beliefs about paranoia, appraisals of combat trauma and PTSD symptomatology. RESULTS: Negative post-trauma cognitions and positive and negative beliefs about paranoia were associated with increased predisposition to delusional beliefs; however, the severity of combat experience was not. It was also found that veterans who met criteria for PTSD were more likely to hold delusional-like ideas compared with those who did not. Furthermore, the PTSD group held more negative post-trauma cognitions and more positive beliefs about paranoia. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that PTSD symptoms may confer vulnerability to delusional beliefs and that this may be mediated by negative appraisals about the self, the world and dysfunctional beliefs about paranoia. However, it is possible that psychotic-like phenomena confer vulnerability to PTSD. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Subject(s)
Delusions/diagnosis , Delusions/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Warfare , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Analysis of Variance , Attitude to Health , Cognition , Combat Disorders/complications , Combat Disorders/diagnosis , Combat Disorders/psychology , Delusions/complications , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Paranoid Disorders/psychology , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Risk Factors , Self Concept , Severity of Illness Index , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/complications , Surveys and Questionnaires , United KingdomABSTRACT
The psychological consequences of bullying have been the focus of much research over the last 25 years. However, the relationship between bullying and psychotic experiences has been relatively ignored despite the weight of evidence which suggests that traumatic events in childhood are significantly related to psychotic disorders. 373 pupils aged between 14 and 16 years took part in the study. They were asked to complete a number of self-report measures which examined their experience of bullying, predisposition to auditory hallucinations, paranoia and dissociation, and beliefs about both the self and the world and about paranoia. It was found that bullying was significantly associated with predisposition to psychotic experiences. Negative post-trauma cognitions were also associated with predisposition to psychotic phenomena as were positive beliefs about paranoia. Being bullied at school and beliefs about trauma and psychotic symptoms may contribute to the development of psychosis. However, it is also possible that these results indicate that experiencing psychotic-like phenomena increases the likelihood that a pupil's interpersonal context is characterised by peer hostility and rejection. The implications of these results are discussed.
