Hallucinations across sensory domains in people with post-traumatic stress disorder and psychosis
Robert Dudley, Sarah White, Rebecca Miskin, Libby Oakes, Eleanor Longden, Craig Steel, Sarah Swann, Raphael Underwood, Emmanuelle Peters
Psychiatry Research October 11, 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.116229 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 67 |
| Population | People with psychosis who also met criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder |
| Topics | PTSD |
| Citations | 4 |
| Key findings | Hallucinations across sensory modalities were common in this sample, with 71.6% reporting hallucinations in two or more modalities and a moderate association between the number of modalities and both past trauma count and PTSD symptoms. The authors report a high degree of content and thematic linkage between trauma and hallucinations, suggesting the trauma-hallucination relationship extends beyond the auditory domain. |
Abstract
Auditory hallucinations are common in people with histories of adversity, possibly indicating a causal relationship. However, hallucinations occur in multiple sensory modalities and the relationship between trauma and hallucinations in other sensory domains is less explored. We examined the occurrence of hallucinatory experiences in different sensory modalities in people with psychosis who also met criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (n = 67). Particular attention was paid to the number of modalities reported and whether the experiences were linked to the person's adversity. This linkage was explored in two ways. First, it was predicted that those people reporting more trauma experiences and symptoms of PTSD would report a greater number of hallucination modalities. Second, we examined if there was content or thematic linkage between the trauma and the hallucinatory experiences. There were high levels of reported auditory (89.6 %), visual (58.2 %) and tactile (46.3 %) hallucinations. Hallucinations in two or more modalities were the norm (71.6 % of the participants). The number of hallucination modalities was moderately associated with a greater number of past traumas and PTSD symptoms. There was a high degree of content and thematic linkage between the trauma and the hallucinations. The linkage between trauma and auditory hallucinations extends to other sensory domains.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on PTSD, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Using Low Doses in a Small Sample of Women with Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Women with chronic PTSD secondary to sexual assault | 2008 | Observational cohort | n = 6 |
| An Ambulatory Polysomnography Study of the Post-traumatic Nightmares of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment-seeking veterans, current serving military members, and emergency service... | 2017 | Observational study using ambulatory polysomnography | n = 35 |
| Increased Mastery Elements Associated With Imagery Rehearsal Treatment for Nightmares in Sexual Assault Survivors With PTSD. Female sexual assault survivors with chronic nightmares | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 44 |
| Posttraumatic stress symptoms following near-death experiences. Persons who report near-death experiences and those who came close to death without NDEs | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Impact of oral ketamine augmentation on hospital admissions in treatment-resistant depression and PTSD: a retrospective study. Outpatients with treatment-resistant depression and PTSD | 2018 | Retrospective review | n = 37 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- ‘I just want an explanation’: A qualitative investigation of how people with psychosis make sense of their visual hallucinations Psychology and Psychotherapy Theory Research and Practice August 21, 2026
- Multimodal imagery and the “voice” of interpersonal trauma: dissociative-cognitive mechanisms in the dynamics of hallucinations and suicide risk Neurology Bulletin May 20, 2026
Cites 11
- Understanding visual hallucinations: A new synthesis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews July 1, 2023
- Occurrence and phenomenology of hallucinations in the general population: A large online survey Schizophrenia April 23, 2022
- Sexual Hallucinations in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Their Relation With Childhood Trauma Frontiers in Psychiatry May 9, 2018
- Voice-Hearing Across The Continuum: A Phenomenology of Spiritual Voices. Schizophrenia Bulletin September 1, 2022
- Cross-cultural Differences in Hallucinations: A Comparison Between Middle Eastern and European Community-Based Samples. Schizophrenia Bulletin February 24, 2023
and 6 more in the library