Animal metaphors convey a wide range of meanings, from insulting slurs to expressions of love. Two studies examined factors contributing to the offensiveness of these metaphors. Study 1 examined 40 common metaphors, finding that their meanings were diverse but centered on depravity, disagreeableness, and stupidity. Their offensiveness was predicted by the revulsion felt toward the animal and by the dehumanizing view of the target that it implied. Study 2 examined contextual factors in metaphor use, finding that the offensiveness of animal metaphors varies with the tone of their expression and the gender and in-group/out-group status of their targets. These variations influence offensiveness by altering the extent to which the target is ascribed animalistic properties.

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Objective Increasing evidence suggests experiences of childhood trauma may be causally related to the development of hallucinations. Cognitive theories of psychosis suggest post‐traumatic intrusions to be a primary mechanism in this relationship. These theories predict that the content of hallucinations will be related to traumatic experiences; however, few studies have investigated this. This study examined the relationship between childhood trauma, the content of hallucinations, and the content of post‐traumatic intrusions in a sample with first‐episode psychosis. Methods Sixty‐six young people aged 15–25 experiencing a first episode of psychosis were recruited from an early intervention service. Participants completed assessments of traumatic experiences, hallucination content, and post‐traumatic intrusion content using a systematic coding frame. The coding frame assessed for three types of relationships between traumatic experiences, the content of hallucinations, and the content of post‐traumatic intrusions: direct relationships (hallucination content exactly matching the trauma/intrusion), thematic relationships (hallucinations with the same themes as the trauma/intrusion), and no relationship (hallucination and trauma/intrusion content unrelated). Results Of those people who reported trauma and hallucinations (n = 36), 22 of these (61%) experienced post‐traumatic intrusions, and of these, 16 (73%) experienced hallucinations that were directly or thematically related to their post‐traumatic intrusions. Twelve people experienced hallucination content directly related to their trauma, six of whom (50%) also had intrusions relating to the same traumatic event as their hallucinations. Conclusions The finding that some people experience hallucinations and post‐traumatic intrusions relating to the same traumatic event supports theories proposing a continuum of memory intrusion fragmentation. These results indicate that early intervention services for young people with psychosis should provide assessment and intervention for trauma and PTSD and should consider the impact of past traumatic events on the content of current hallucinatory experience. Practitioner points Trauma and post‐traumatic stress disorder should be assessed in those experiencing a first episode of psychosis. Interventions for trauma should be offered in early intervention for psychosis services. In a notable proportion of people, hallucination content is related to traumatic experiences. Clinical assessment and formulation of hallucinations requires consideration of how past traumatic events may be contributing to hallucinatory experience. It is important for clinicians to have an understanding of the phenomenological differences between hallucinations and post‐traumatic intrusions when conducting clinical assessments with people with comorbid psychosis and PTSD.

Objective There is increasing evidence that childhood trauma may play a role in the aetiology of psychosis. Cognitive models implicate trauma‐related symptoms, specifically post‐traumatic intrusions and trauma‐related beliefs as primary mechanisms, but these models have not been extensively tested. This study investigated relationships between childhood trauma, psychotic symptoms (hallucinations and delusions), post‐traumatic intrusions, and trauma‐related beliefs while accounting for comorbid symptoms. Methods Sixty‐six people with first episode psychosis aged between 15 and 24 years were assessed for hallucinations, delusions, childhood trauma, post‐traumatic intrusions, post‐traumatic avoidance, and trauma‐related beliefs. Results Fifty‐three per cent of the sample had experienced childhood trauma, and 27% met diagnostic criteria for post‐traumatic stress disorder. Both post‐traumatic intrusions and trauma‐related beliefs mediated the relationships between childhood trauma and hallucinations, and childhood trauma and delusions. Multiple regression analyses revealed that post‐traumatic intrusions (but not childhood trauma, post‐traumatic avoidance, or trauma‐related beliefs) were independently associated with hallucination severity (β = .53, p = .01). Post‐traumatic intrusions and trauma‐related beliefs (but not childhood trauma or post‐traumatic avoidance) were independently associated with delusion severity (β = .67, p < .01 and β = .34, p < .01, respectively). Conclusions These findings support cognitive models that implicate post‐traumatic intrusions in hallucination aetiology, and post‐traumatic intrusions and trauma‐related beliefs in delusion aetiology. The results suggest that trauma and post‐traumatic stress disorder, including trauma‐related beliefs, should be addressed in the assessment and treatment of people with early psychosis. Practitioner points Trauma and post‐traumatic stress disorder, including trauma‐related beliefs, should be addressed in the assessment and treatment of people with early psychosis. Routine assessment of childhood trauma and PTSD in clinical services dealing with young people with first episode psychosis is needed. These findings support cognitive models of trauma and hallucinations and delusions.

BackgroundYoung people with first episode psychosis are at an increased risk for a range of poor health outcomes. In contrast to the growing body of evidence that suggests that exercise therapy may benefit the physical and mental health of people diagnosed with schizophrenia, there are no studies to date that have sought to extend the use of exercise therapy among patients with first episode psychosis. The aim of the study is to test the feasibility and acceptability of an exercise program that will be delivered via internet enabled mobile devices and social networking technologies among young people with first episode psychosis.Methods/DesignThis study is a qualitative pilot study being conducted at Orygen Youth Health Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Participants are young people aged 15-24 who are receiving clinical care at a specialist first episode psychosis treatment centre. Participants will also comprise young people from the general population. The exercise intervention is a 9-week running program, designed to gradually build a person's level of fitness to be able to run 5 kilometres (3 miles) towards the end of the program. The program will be delivered via an internet enabled mobile device. Participants will be asked to post messages about their running experiences on the social networking website, and will also be asked to attend three face-to-face interviews.DiscussionThis paper describes the development of a qualitative study to pilot a running program coupled with the use of internet enabled mobile devices among young people with first episode psychosis. If the program is found to be feasible and acceptable to patients, it is hoped that further rigorous evaluations will ultimately lead to the introduction of exercise therapy as part of an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach in routine clinical care.