Overview
Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) was officially recognized as a distinct syndrome in the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11) in 2018 1. This recognition aimed to differentiate it from neurotic disorders secondary to stressful situations and somatoform disorders 1. CPTSD is associated with prolonged or repeated trauma and is characterized by difficulties in emotional regulation, self-perception, and interpersonal relationships, in addition to core PTSD symptoms 1.
Diagnosis
Key risk factors for developing CPTSD include childhood sexual abuse (OR = 2.880), childhood physical abuse (OR = 2.841), childhood emotional neglect (OR = 2.510), lifetime physical abuse (OR = 2.149), and being female (OR = 1.726) 1.
Psychological network models are increasingly used to investigate PTSD symptom interactions and identify central driver symptoms 3.
A meta-analysis of PTSD symptom networks found large between-study heterogeneity, indicating that single-study network models may not perfectly align 3.
Within PTSD symptom networks, "amnesia" was identified as the least central symptom 3.Management
No specific management strategies or treatments are detailed in the provided abstracts.Special Populations
No information is available on special populations in the provided abstracts.Key Recommendations
Childhood sexual abuse is a significant risk factor for developing complex post-traumatic stress disorder 1. (Evidence: Moderate)
Childhood physical abuse is a significant risk factor for developing complex post-traumatic stress disorder 1. (Evidence: Moderate)
Childhood emotional neglect is a significant risk factor for developing complex post-traumatic stress disorder 1. (Evidence: Moderate)
Lifetime physical abuse is a significant risk factor for developing complex post-traumatic stress disorder 1. (Evidence: Moderate)
Being female is a significant risk factor for developing complex post-traumatic stress disorder 1. (Evidence: Moderate)
Network models are vital for the study of PTSD symptom networks due to significant between-study heterogeneity 3. (Evidence: Moderate)References
1 Leiva-Bianchi M, Nvo-Fernandez M, Villacura-Herrera C, Miño-Reyes V, Parra Varela N. What are the predictive variables that increase the risk of developing a complex trauma? A meta-analysis. Journal of affective disorders 2023. link
2 Wang YR, Ford MT, Credé M, Harms PD, Lester PB. A meta-analysis on the crossover of workplace traumatic stress symptoms between partners. The Journal of applied psychology 2023. link
3 Isvoranu AM, Epskamp S, Cheung MW. Network models of posttraumatic stress disorder: A meta-analysis. Journal of abnormal psychology 2021. link
4 Garakani A, Hirschowitz J, Katz CL. General disaster psychiatry. The Psychiatric clinics of North America 2004. link