Is Self-Compassion a Worthwhile Therapeutic Target for ICD-11 Complex PTSD (CPTSD)?

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Trauma Studies

Background:

• The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) proposes two related disorders: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD).
• Understanding psychological factors like self-compassion is crucial for developing effective treatments for CPTSD.
• Self-compassion's role in CPTSD, particularly its distinct factors, requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between self-compassion and the two core factors of CPTSD: the PTSD factor and the Disturbances in Self-Organization (DSO) factor.
• To test the hypothesis that self-compassion subscales would negatively correlate with both PTSD and DSO symptom clusters.
• To identify specific self-compassion components linked to particular CPTSD symptoms.

Main Methods:

• A clinical sample of 106 participants, predominantly female, completed self-report measures.
• Assessment included scales for traumatic life events, ICD-11 CPTSD symptoms, and self-compassion.
• Statistical analyses were used to determine associations between self-compassion and CPTSD symptom clusters.

Main Results:

• Significant negative associations were observed between self-compassion subscales and CPTSD DSO symptom clusters.
• No significant negative associations were found between self-compassion and the PTSD symptom cluster.
• Self-judgement and common humanity predicted hypoactive affect dysregulation, while self-judgement and isolation predicted negative self-concept.

Conclusions:

• Self-compassion appears to be a potentially valuable treatment target for ICD-11 CPTSD.
• Interventions focusing on self-compassion may be particularly beneficial for addressing negative self-concept and affect dysregulation in CPTSD.
• Further research is needed to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of compassion-focused interventions for CPTSD.