Psychosis, Trauma and Dissociation: Evolving Perspectives on Severe Psychopathology, 2nd Edition

An invaluable sourcebook on the complex relationship between psychosis, trauma, and dissociation, thoroughly revised and updated

This revised and updated second edition of Psychosis, Trauma and Dissociation offers an important resource that takes a wide-ranging and in-depth look at the multifaceted relationship between trauma, dissociation and psychosis. The editors – leaders in their field – have drawn together more than fifty noted experts from around the world, to canvas the relevant literature from historical, conceptual, empirical and clinical perspectives. The result documents the impressive gains made over the past ten years in understanding multiple aspects of the interface between trauma, dissociation and psychosis.   

The historical/conceptual section clarifies the meaning of the terms dissociation, trauma and psychosis, proposes dissociation as central to the historical concepts of schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder, and considers unique development perspectives on delusions and the onset of schizophrenia. The empirical section of the text compares and contrasts psychotic and dissociative disorders from a wide range of perspectives, including phenomenology, childhood trauma, and memory and cognitive disturbances, whilst the clinical section focuses on the assessment, differential diagnosis and treatment of these disorders, along with proposals for new and novel hybrid disorders. This important resource:

•       Offers extensive updated coverage of the field, from all relevant perspectives

•       Brings together in one text contributions from scholars and clinicians working in diverse geographical and theoretical areas

•       Helps define and bring cohesion to this new and important field

•       Features nine new chapters on: conceptions of trauma, dissociation and psychosis, PTSD with psychotic features, delusions and memory, trauma treatment of psychotic symptoms, and differences between the diagnostic groups on hypnotizability, memory disturbances, brain imaging, auditory verbal hallucinations and psychological testing

Written for clinicians, researchers and academics in the areas of trauma, child abuse, dissociation and psychosis, but relevant for psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists working in any area, the revised second edition of Psychosis, Trauma and Dissociation makes an invaluable contribution to this important evolving field.

Table of contents

About the Editors ix

Notes on Contributors xi

Foreword from the Trauma Field xxi
Chris R. Brewin

Foreword from the Psychosis Field xxv
Brian Martindale

Introduction 1
Andrew Moskowitz, Martin J. Dorahy, and Ingo Schäfer

Part I Historical and Conceptual Perspectives 7

1 Defining Psychosis, Trauma, and Dissociation: Historical and Contemporary Conceptions 9
Andrew Moskowitz, Markus Heinimaa, and Onno van der Hart

2 Historical Conceptions of Dissociative and Psychotic Disorders: From Mesmer to the Twentieth Century 31
Warwick Middleton, Martin J. Dorahy, and Andrew Moskowitz

3 Hysterical Psychosis: A Historical Review and Empirical Evaluation 43
Eliezer Witztum and Onno van der Hart

4 The Role of Dissociation in the Historical Concept of Schizophrenia 55
Andrew Moskowitz and Gerhard Heim

5 Ego‐Fragmentation in Schizophrenia: A Severe Dissociation of Self‐Experience 69
Christian Scharfetter

6 From Hysteria to Chronic Relational Trauma Disorder: The History of Borderline Personality Disorder and Its Connection to Trauma, Dissociation, and Psychosis 83
Elizabeth Howell

7 An Attachment Perspective on Schizophrenia: The Role of Disorganized Attachment, Dissociation, and Mentalization 97
Andrew Gumley and Giovanni Liotti

8 Childhood Experiences and Delusions: Trauma, Memory, and the Double Bind 117
Andrew Moskowitz and Rosario Montirosso

Part II Research Perspectives 141

9 Childhood Trauma in Psychotic and Dissociative Disorders 143
James G. Scott, Colin A. Ross, Martin J. Dorahy, John Read, and Ingo Schäfer

10 Structural Brain Changes in Psychotic Disorders, Dissociative Disorders, and After Childhood Adversity: Similarities and Differences 159
Roar Fosse, Andrew Moskowitz, Ciaran Shannon, and Ciaran Mulholland

11 Dissociative Symptoms in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders 179
Ingo Schäfer, Volkmar Aderhold, Harald J. Freyberger, Carsten Spitzer, and Katrin Schroeder

12 Psychotic Symptoms in Dissociative Disorders 195
Vedat Şar and Erdinç Öztürk

13 Auditory Verbal Hallucinations: Prevalence, Phenomenology,and the Dissociation Hypothesis 207
Eleanor Longden, Andrew Moskowitz, Martin J. Dorahy, and Salvador Perona‐Garcelán

14 The Value of Hypnotizability in Differentiating Dissociative from Psychotic Disorders 223
Joost B. C. Mertens and Eric Vermetten

15 Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder and Schizotypal Personality Disorder 241

Holly K. Hamilton and Daphne Simeon

16 Post‐traumatic Stress Disorder with Psychotic Features 257
Cherie Armour, Mark Shevlin, Ask Elklit, and James Houston

17 Memory Disturbances in Schizophrenia and Post‐traumatic Stress Disorder 271
Cherrie Galletly and Sandy McFarlane

18 Cognitive Perspectives on Dissociation and Psychosis: Differences in the Processing of Threat? 283
Martin J. Dorahy and Melissa J. Green

Part III Clinical Perspectives 305

19 Dissociative Psychosis: Clinical and Theoretical Aspects 307
Onno van der Hart and Eliezer Witztum

20 Dissociative Schizophrenia: A Proposed Subtype of Schizophrenia 321
Colin A. Ross

21 Advances in Clinical Assessment: The Differential Diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder and Schizophrenia 335
Marlene Steinberg

22 A Psychological Assessment Perspective on Clinical and Conceptual Distinctions Between Dissociative Disorders and Psychotic Disorders 351
Bethany L. Brand, Helle Spindler, and Renn Cannon

23 The Role of Double Binds, Reality Testing, and Chronic Relational Trauma in the Genesis and Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder 367
Ruth A. Blizard

24 Accepting and Working with Voices: The Maastricht Approach 381
Dirk Corstens, Sandra Escher, Marius Romme, and Eleanor Longden

25 Trauma Therapy for Psychosis?: Research and Clinical Experience Using EMDR with Psychotic Patients 397
Anabel Gonzalez, Dolores Mosquera, and Andrew M. Leeds

26 Treating Dissociative and Psychotic Disorders Psychodynamically 411
Valerie E. Sinason and Ann‐Louise S. Silver

27 Dissociation, Psychosis and Spirituality: Whose Voices are We Hearing? 427
Patte Randal, Jim Geekie, Ingo Lambrecht, and Melissa Taitimu

Index 441