Posttraumatische Störungen bei Patienten mit Erkrankungen aus dem schizophrenen Formenkreis

Abstract

Background. The findings of internation- al studies suggest high rates of interperson- al violence and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Only few studies, how- ever, have so far been conducted in the Ger- man-speaking countries. Objectives. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of lifetime experi- ences of interpersonal violence and comor- bid PTSD among inpatients in a German uni- versity hospital. Method. In N=145 consecutively admitted patients with schizophrenia spectrum disor- ders (67% male) the structured trauma in- terview (STI) was used to assess experiences of interpersonal violence and the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV (SCID) to assess comorbid PTSD. Results. Sexual violence under the age of 16 years was reported by 17% of the patients (women 27%, men 12%). Approximately one third (32%) reported physical violence by pa- rental figures (women 38%, men 29%). At least one form of early violence (sexual or physical) was reported by half of the women (48%) and one third of the men (34%). Neg- ative sexual experiences later in life were re- ported by 17%, physical violence by 38% and at least one of these forms by 48% of the pa- tients. In total two thirds of all patients (66%) reported experiences of violence during their lifetime. The prevalence of acute PTSD was 12%. Another 9% of patients had a subsyn- dromal PTSD. Conclusion. The present study confirmed the high rates of experiences of interperson- al violence and comorbid PTSD in a German sample of patients with schizophrenia spec- trum disorders. Violence and it's consequenc- es should therefore be routinely assessed and the full spectrum of trauma-specific therapies should be integrated into the treatment of this group of patients.