Calvin College

Complex PTSD is a disorder resulting from prolonged trauma such as childhood abuse or neglect, abusive relationships, or political imprisonment or torture. C-PTSD includes some or all of the criteria of PTSD, as well as additional symptoms that negatively affect ones quality of life and is typically more severe and treatment resistant than classical PTSD.

Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (c-PTSD)

Marinova, Z., & Maercker, A. (2015). Biological correlates of complex posttraumatic stress disorder-state of research and future directions. European journal of psychotraumatology, 6, 25913. https://doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v6.25913

Biological correlates of complex posttraumatic stress disorder—state of research and future directions

Four neuroimaging studies were done on childhood abuse-related c-PTSD patients to study brain anatomy and activity under c-PTSD.

Four neuroimaging studies and childhood abuse c-PTSD

Although recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), given its categorization and inclusion in the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), it is not currently recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), given its exclusion in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). In the DSM-5, the symptoms of c-PTSD are instead grouped together within PTSD by introducing new categories and tweaking existing ones.

Community recognition of c-PTSD as a separate diagnostic entity from PTSD

- Childhood abuse or neglect
- Long-standing domestic violence
- Trafficked or forced into sex work
- Kidnapped, enslaved, or tortured
- Incarcerated in a prisoner of war camp
- Witnesses to repeated acts of violence

Risk factors for c-PTSD

Summary of c-PTSD symptoms vs. PTSD symptoms

Data suggest that individuals who have been victims of sexual abuse, such as child sexual abuse (CSA) are exposed to serious negative health consequences, including the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its symptomatology.

Sexual abuse and PTSD development

Signs and symptoms of c-PTSD often overlap with those of neurological disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, and OCD. 

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