Work

Psychosis in the Context of Travel, Substance Use, and Media Exposure: A Stress-Diathesis Perspective

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Brief psychotic disorder is a transient psychotic condition often precipitated by acute stress in vulnerable individuals. We describe the case of a 40-year-old woman with no prior history of psychosis who developed persecutory delusions during international travel. Her symptoms emerged in the context of multiple vulnerability factors, including heavy alcohol use, prior cocaine exposure, traumatic brain injury, and acute physiologic stress. During this period, repeated exposure to media coverage of violent crime appeared to reinforce perceived threat and escalate paranoia. Neuroimaging revealed structural abnormalities involving frontal and temporal regions, raising concern for an underlying vulnerability to psychosis. This case illustrates the stress-diathesis model of psychosis and highlights media-driven stress as a potentially underrecognized precipitating factor in susceptible individuals.

Source: Cureus

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.107020

Authors: Sowmika Boppana, Divya R Shivapuja, Alexander Perez

Institution: Jackson Memorial Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Schizophrenia research and treatment

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W7154269240