Abstract
Background: Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) describes the results of complex, prolonged, and/or inescapable trauma, and is typified by avoidance, re-experiencing, sense of threat, affect dysregulation, negative self-concept, and interpersonal disturbances. Additionally, CPTSD is highly comorbid with other common psychopathologies.
Objectives: A study was conducted in a trauma-exposed UK Armed Forces Veteran population resident in Northern Ireland (N=638, NI) to determine the prevalence of CPTSD and comorbid associations.
Methods: Data from the Northern Ireland Veterans Health and Wellbeing Study (NIVHWS), including self-report data describing traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and suicidality, were used in a latent class analysis to identify distinct profiles of symptomology in the sample, and in a multinomial logistic regression to identify comorbidities associated with class membership.
Results: Three distinct classes emerged: a low endorsement ‘baseline’ class (36%), a ‘Moderate Symptomatic’ class (27%), and a high endorsement ‘Probable CPTSD’ class (37%). Both the Moderate Symptomatic and CPTSD classes were predicted by cumulative trauma exposure. Depression was highly comorbid (OR=23.06 in CPTSD), as was anxiety (OR=22.05 in CPTSD) and suicidal ideation (OR=4.32 in CPTSD), with suicidal attempt associated with the CPTSD class (OR=2.51).
Conclusions: Cases of probable CPTSD were more prevalent than cases of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) without Difficulties in Self-Organisation (DSO) symptoms in a UK Armed Forces veteran sample, were associated with repeated/cumulative trauma, and were highly comorbid across a range of psychopathologies. Findings validate previous literature on CPTSD and indicate considerable distress and thus need for support in UK Armed Forces veterans resident in NI.
Objectives: A study was conducted in a trauma-exposed UK Armed Forces Veteran population resident in Northern Ireland (N=638, NI) to determine the prevalence of CPTSD and comorbid associations.
Methods: Data from the Northern Ireland Veterans Health and Wellbeing Study (NIVHWS), including self-report data describing traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and suicidality, were used in a latent class analysis to identify distinct profiles of symptomology in the sample, and in a multinomial logistic regression to identify comorbidities associated with class membership.
Results: Three distinct classes emerged: a low endorsement ‘baseline’ class (36%), a ‘Moderate Symptomatic’ class (27%), and a high endorsement ‘Probable CPTSD’ class (37%). Both the Moderate Symptomatic and CPTSD classes were predicted by cumulative trauma exposure. Depression was highly comorbid (OR=23.06 in CPTSD), as was anxiety (OR=22.05 in CPTSD) and suicidal ideation (OR=4.32 in CPTSD), with suicidal attempt associated with the CPTSD class (OR=2.51).
Conclusions: Cases of probable CPTSD were more prevalent than cases of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) without Difficulties in Self-Organisation (DSO) symptoms in a UK Armed Forces veteran sample, were associated with repeated/cumulative trauma, and were highly comorbid across a range of psychopathologies. Findings validate previous literature on CPTSD and indicate considerable distress and thus need for support in UK Armed Forces veterans resident in NI.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 2046953 |
Pages (from-to) | 2046953 |
Number of pages | 1 |
Journal | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 31 Mar 2022 |
Keywords
- complex post-traumatic stress disorder
- CPTSD
- Northern Ireland
- post-traumatic stress disorder
- PTSD
- trauma exposure
- Veteran
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health