Trauma and Psychosis in German Psychiatry - A Historical Analysis

Abstract

Objective The paper reports an historical analysis of the debate on trauma and psychosis in German psychiatry. Methods Content analysis of five leading German psychiatric journals between 1889 and 2005. Results A substantial number of publications until the late 1960s addressed different aspects of potential links between trauma and subsequent psychosis. Papers exclusively focused on traumatic experience in adulthood. Most papers showed a negative attitude towards the idea of traumatic experiences causing psychosis. Conclusions The debate on psychological trauma and psychosis refers to a long tradition in German psychiatry. Whilst the discussion contributed significantly to concepts and classifications of psychotic illnesses, it did not generate a coherent model for the potential association of trauma and subsequent psychotic disorder.