Brand RM, et al. – This study was designed to investigate the literature on trauma–focussed treatments conducted with individuals with schizophrenia spectrum or psychotic disorders to determine effects on psychotic symptoms through a systematic review and meta–analysis. The results of this study showed promising effects of trauma–focussed treatments for the positive symptoms of psychosis.

Methods

• For this research, 25 studies were included in the review, with twelve being included in the meta-analysis.

Results

• The results of this study showed that trauma-focussed treatments had a small, significant effect (g = 0.31, CI [0.55, 0.06]) on positive symptoms immediately post-treatment, but the significance and magnitude of this effect was not maintained at follow-up (g = 0.18, CI [0.42, -0.06]).
• In addition, trauma-focussed treatments had a small impact on delusions at both post-treatment (g = 0.37, CI [0.87, -0.12]) and follow-up (g = 0.38, CI [0.67, 0.10]), but this only reached significance at follow-up.  
• It was observed in the findings that effects on hallucinations and negative symptoms were small and non-significant.
• Findings revealed that effects on PTSD symptoms were also small (post-treatment g = 0.21, CI [0.70, -0.27], follow up g = 0.31, CI [0.62, 0.00]) and only met significance at follow-up.
• The authors did not find significant effects on symptoms of depression and anxiety.