Family History Study of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder With Secondary Psychotic Symptoms

• Published in: The American journal of psychiatry Vol. 159; no. 10; pp. 1775 - 1777
• Main Authors: Sautter, Frederic J., Cornwell, John, Johnson, Janet J., Wiley, Justin, Faraone, Stephen V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychiatric Publishing 01.10.2002; American Psychiatric Association
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anxiety Disorders - epidemiology; Anxiety Disorders - genetics; Anxiety Disorders - psychology; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Biological and medical sciences; Comorbidity; Depressive Disorder - epidemiology; Depressive Disorder - genetics; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Family; Family histories; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - epidemiology; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - genetics; Genetics; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Mental disorders; Other psychotic disorders; Post traumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Psychotic Disorders - epidemiology; Psychotic Disorders - genetics; Psychotic Disorders - psychology; Psychotic symptoms; Risk Factors; Schizophrenia - epidemiology; Schizophrenia - genetics; Schizophrenic Psychology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - genetics; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Mood disorder; Human; Posttraumatic syndrome; Family study; Parent; Anxiety disorder; Schizophrenia; Depression; First degree relatives; Vulnerability; Stress; Psychosis; Family story; Symptomatology; Concomitant disease; Risk factor; Antecedent; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0002-953X; 1535-7228
• DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.159.10.1775

OBJECTIVE: A family history approach was used to determine if posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with secondary psychotic symptoms was associated with a familial vulnerability to schizophrenia and other psychoses. METHOD: Family history methods were used to compare rates of familial psychopathology in the first-degree relatives of three proband groups: 1) patients with DSM-IV PTSD with secondary psychotic symptoms, 2) patients with DSM-IV PTSD without psychotic symptoms, and 3) healthy matched comparison subjects. RESULTS: PTSD with secondary psychotic symptoms was not associated with an excess of familial psychotic disorder but was associated with a higher morbid risk for depression. CONCLUSIONS: PTSD with secondary psychotic symptoms was not associated with familial psychosis, suggesting it does not reflect the presence of an underlying psychotic disorder.