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Complex PTSD among treatment-seeking veterans with PTSD
Marina Letica-Crepulja1,2, Aleksandra Stevanović1,2, Marina Protuđer3
1Department for Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.
European Journal of Psychotraumatology
|March 14, 2020
Summary
Complex PTSD (CPTSD) affects over 80% of war veterans seeking treatment for PTSD, even decades after trauma. CPTSD is linked to greater functional impairment and anxiety disorders, suggesting tailored interventions are needed.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Trauma Studies
- Veterans' Mental Health
Background:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) are distinct but related diagnoses within the ICD-11 traumatic stress disorders category.
- Understanding the prevalence and characteristics of CPTSD in long-term war veterans is crucial for effective mental healthcare.
- War-related trauma can be cumulative and severe, potentially leading to distinct outcomes beyond standard PTSD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of probable CPTSD in treatment-seeking war veterans with PTSD over 20 years post-trauma.
- To investigate associations between demographic/psychosocial variables and the presence of CPTSD versus PTSD.
- To inform clinical practice by differentiating between PTSD and CPTSD in veteran populations.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study of 160 male war veterans with PTSD attending an outpatient clinic.
- Assessment of psychiatric comorbidity using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).
- Validated self-report measures included the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5) and International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ).
Main Results:
- A high prevalence of probable CPTSD was found, with 80.63% of the sample meeting criteria.
- No significant differences were observed in deployment length, PTSD symptom intensity, trauma types, or pharmacotherapy between PTSD and CPTSD groups.
- Veterans with CPTSD showed significantly higher functional impairment and comorbidity with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) compared to the PTSD group.
Conclusions:
- Prolonged, severe interpersonal trauma like war is associated with high rates of CPTSD in veterans long after the conflict.
- Distinguishing between PTSD and CPTSD is essential for developing personalized treatment strategies.
- Identifying CPTSD can guide interventions targeting specific mental health and functional deficits in affected veterans.
Keywords:
Complex PTSDICD-11 Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ)PTSDwar• Our study revealed high rates (80%) of a probable diagnosis of CPTSD among treatment-seeking war-veterans with PTSD.• CPTSD was associated with higher levels of disorder-related functional impairment in comparison to PTSD.• The distinction between PTSD and CPTSD may help the selection of person-centered treatment interventions that would target specific mental health and functional problems in patients.More Related Videos
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