Case reports. Can schizophrenia cause posttraumatic stress disorder?

Theories about schizophrenia have viewed stress and anxiety as both predisposing factors and associated features of the disorder. But these theories ignore a possible fundamental interaction: Terrifying psychotic experiences might act as traumatic events and precipitate a posttraumatic stress syndrome. We present a case of schizophrenia complicated by posttraumatic stress disorder and discuss the implications of this comorbidity for the theory, research, and practice.