Auditory hallucinations, posttraumatic stress disorder, and ethnicity.

The occurrence of intrusive auditory perceptions has rarely been addressed in the study of posttraumatic stress disorder. This study examined the background of 59 individuals with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Subjects with and without auditory hallucinations were compared on demographic military and symptom variables. The occurrence of hallucinations among veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder appears to be more frequent among subjects of Hispanic ethnicity. This may have been related to higher combat exposure or social stresses. The occurrence of hallucinations was unrelated to drug abuse and did not appear to be associated with any particular war.