Positive symptoms and their associations with life and trauma events among young adults in a first-episode psychosis clinic: qualitative analysis

Background Trauma plays a critical role in psychosis, but the nature of the relationship between specific symptoms and trauma history remains unclear. Aims The aim of the study was to explore the experience of positive symptoms and their association with trauma and life events from the perspecti...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Alix-Anne Ternamian, Mathilde Marchal, Julie Haesebaert, Frédéric Haesebaert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2025-09-01
Series:BJPsych Open
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472425108028/type/journal_article
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849238908453257216
author Alix-Anne Ternamian
Mathilde Marchal
Julie Haesebaert
Frédéric Haesebaert
author_facet Alix-Anne Ternamian
Mathilde Marchal
Julie Haesebaert
Frédéric Haesebaert
author_sort Alix-Anne Ternamian
collection DOAJ
description Background Trauma plays a critical role in psychosis, but the nature of the relationship between specific symptoms and trauma history remains unclear. Aims The aim of the study was to explore the experience of positive symptoms and their association with trauma and life events from the perspective of patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP). Method Seventeen participants who were enrolled in an FEP programme participated in a qualitative interview examining their life and trauma events, the onset of their symptoms, their experience of positive symptoms and their perceived associations between symptoms and life and trauma events. The interview was based on a semi-structured interview of six main questions and follow-up questions. Participants also completed the Trauma and Life Experiences Checklist (TALE), and were asked about the relevance of the whole interview. Thematic content analysis, exploratory cluster analysis and matrix queries coding were performed. Results Fifteen participants described the experience of psychotic symptoms as distressing or traumatic. Eleven participants attributed the onset of positive psychotic symptoms to trauma and life events. Ten participants described explicit thematic associations between their symptoms and trauma and life events. Twelve participants evaluated the interview as relevant and helpful. Conclusions Our findings give insight into the lived experience of positive symptoms and potential psychological interventions valuing causal theories of participants and the association with life and trauma events.
format Article
id doaj-art-a88dc11ec4824b7e8f7573ec309d67e1
institution Kabale University
issn 2056-4724
language English
publishDate 2025-09-01
publisher Cambridge University Press
record_format Article
series BJPsych Open
spelling doaj-art-a88dc11ec4824b7e8f7573ec309d67e12025-08-20T04:01:18ZengCambridge University PressBJPsych Open2056-47242025-09-011110.1192/bjo.2025.10802Positive symptoms and their associations with life and trauma events among young adults in a first-episode psychosis clinic: qualitative analysisAlix-Anne Ternamian0Mathilde Marchal1Julie Haesebaert2Frédéric Haesebaert3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6813-9012Centre Hospitalier le Vinatier, Bron, FranceHospices Civils de Lyon, Pôle Santé Publique, Service Recherche et Epidémiologie Cliniques, Lyon, FranceHospices Civils de Lyon, Pôle Santé Publique, Service Recherche et Epidémiologie Cliniques, Lyon, France Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM U1290, Research on Healthcare Performance RESHAPE, Lyon, FranceCentre Hospitalier le Vinatier, Bron, France Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, PSYR2Bron, France Background Trauma plays a critical role in psychosis, but the nature of the relationship between specific symptoms and trauma history remains unclear. Aims The aim of the study was to explore the experience of positive symptoms and their association with trauma and life events from the perspective of patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP). Method Seventeen participants who were enrolled in an FEP programme participated in a qualitative interview examining their life and trauma events, the onset of their symptoms, their experience of positive symptoms and their perceived associations between symptoms and life and trauma events. The interview was based on a semi-structured interview of six main questions and follow-up questions. Participants also completed the Trauma and Life Experiences Checklist (TALE), and were asked about the relevance of the whole interview. Thematic content analysis, exploratory cluster analysis and matrix queries coding were performed. Results Fifteen participants described the experience of psychotic symptoms as distressing or traumatic. Eleven participants attributed the onset of positive psychotic symptoms to trauma and life events. Ten participants described explicit thematic associations between their symptoms and trauma and life events. Twelve participants evaluated the interview as relevant and helpful. Conclusions Our findings give insight into the lived experience of positive symptoms and potential psychological interventions valuing causal theories of participants and the association with life and trauma events. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472425108028/type/journal_articleFirst episode psychosispositive psychotic symptomstraumaqualitativeexperience
spellingShingle Alix-Anne Ternamian
Mathilde Marchal
Julie Haesebaert
Frédéric Haesebaert
Positive symptoms and their associations with life and trauma events among young adults in a first-episode psychosis clinic: qualitative analysis
BJPsych Open
First episode psychosis
positive psychotic symptoms
trauma
qualitative
experience
title Positive symptoms and their associations with life and trauma events among young adults in a first-episode psychosis clinic: qualitative analysis
title_full Positive symptoms and their associations with life and trauma events among young adults in a first-episode psychosis clinic: qualitative analysis
title_fullStr Positive symptoms and their associations with life and trauma events among young adults in a first-episode psychosis clinic: qualitative analysis
title_full_unstemmed Positive symptoms and their associations with life and trauma events among young adults in a first-episode psychosis clinic: qualitative analysis
title_short Positive symptoms and their associations with life and trauma events among young adults in a first-episode psychosis clinic: qualitative analysis
title_sort positive symptoms and their associations with life and trauma events among young adults in a first episode psychosis clinic qualitative analysis
topic First episode psychosis
positive psychotic symptoms
trauma
qualitative
experience
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2056472425108028/type/journal_article
work_keys_str_mv AT alixanneternamian positivesymptomsandtheirassociationswithlifeandtraumaeventsamongyoungadultsinafirstepisodepsychosisclinicqualitativeanalysis
AT mathildemarchal positivesymptomsandtheirassociationswithlifeandtraumaeventsamongyoungadultsinafirstepisodepsychosisclinicqualitativeanalysis
AT juliehaesebaert positivesymptomsandtheirassociationswithlifeandtraumaeventsamongyoungadultsinafirstepisodepsychosisclinicqualitativeanalysis
AT frederichaesebaert positivesymptomsandtheirassociationswithlifeandtraumaeventsamongyoungadultsinafirstepisodepsychosisclinicqualitativeanalysis