A study of post‐traumatic stress disorder in schizophrenic patients 35 years after experiencing the Tangshan earthquake

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dissociative experiences, post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and psychiatric symptoms exhibited by schizophrenic patients 35 years after the Tangshan earthquake. METHODS: Seventy‐one schizophrenic patients who had experienced the Tangshan earthquake were selected and evaluated by the Post‐traumatic Dissociative Experience Questionnaire (PDEQ), thPTSD Checklist‐Civilian Version (PCL‐C), and the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS). RESULTS: The score of Group B (re‐experiencing symptoms) in PCL‐C was significantly positively correlated with age and significantly negatively correlated with the course of schizophrenia. Both gender and marriage were significantly positively correlated with the score of PCL‐C Group D (irritability symptoms caused by hyperarousal). The PDEQ score was negatively correlated with thecourse of schizophrenia and positively correlated with the presence of sleep difficulties. Significant differences were found between the PCL‐C scores of the positive and negative symptoms of the three core symptom groups; the positive rate of Group B was significantly higher than that of Group D, and the positive rate of Group C was significantly higher than that of Group D. The PCL‐C total score was positively correlated with the negative symptom factor score of PANSS; Group C's symptoms were significantly negativelycorrelated with the positive factor score of PNASS; andGroup D's‘ symptoms were significantly negatively correlated with the PANSS total score and the positive factor score. CONCLUSION: When consiering patients with schizophrenia post the Tangshan earthquake, age, gender, and marital status were all positively correlated with PTSD. The course of schizophrenia was negatively associated with PTSD and dissociative experiences. PTSD was positively correlated with the negative symptoms of schizophrenia and negatively correlated with the positive symptoms of schizophrenia. Thus, the conditions and symptoms of PTSD may interact with those of schizophrenia.