ICD-11 PTSD and complex PTSD in Lithuanian university students: Prevalence and associations with trauma exposure

Young adults are at high risk for developing mental disorders. Moreover, trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders in emerging adulthood are highly prevalent. The study aimed to explore the prevalence of traumatic experiences, probable ICD-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), probable complex PTSD (CPTSD), and links between trauma exposure and traumatic stress reactions among first-year university students in Lithuania.

In total, 1,626 university students from Lithuania, 68.2% female, mean age 19.09 (SD = 1.05) years, were recruited for the study. Probable ICD-11 PTSDs were measured using the self-report International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ).

A majority (77.2%) of young adults had been exposed to traumatic experiences. The prevalence of probable ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD in the total sample was 4.6% and 3.4%, respectively. Both PTSD and CPTSD were associated with cumulative lifetime trauma experiences. CPTSD was related to sexual trauma, whereas PTSD was linked to single traumatic incidents, like a physical assault. Both probable PTSD and probable CPTSD were associated with physical and sexual abuse in childhood.

The findings of our study show that nearly 8 in 10 university students were exposed to trauma at the beginning of their studies. The prevalence of probable PTSD/CPTSD was comparable to other studies conducted on the general population and university students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).