Complex PTSD in victims exposed to sexual and physical abuse: results from the DSM-IV Field Trial for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

TLDR

The study analyzed 234 DSM‑IV PTSD Field Trial participants who reported sexual and/or physical abuse, categorizing them by abuse type, duration, and onset, and used logistic regression to assess how these factors related to lifetime complex PTSD diagnoses in men and women. Sexually abused women, particularly those with concurrent physical abuse, were at higher risk for complex PTSD, while physically abused women also exhibited a high base rate of CP symptoms; the study discusses the clinical relevance of targeting CP symptoms in abused populations.

Abstract

Two hundred thirty four participants in the DSM-IV Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Field Trial who reported sexual and/or physical abuse were evaluated. Participants were categorized according to type of abuse (physical, sexual, both), duration of abuse (acute versus chronic), and onset of abuse (early versus late). Separate logistic regression analyses examined the relationship between age of onset, duration, abuse type, and the complex PTSD (CP) lifetime diagnosis for women and men. Sexually abused women, especially those who also experienced physical abuse, had a higher risk of developing CP, although CP symptoms occurred at a high base rate among physically abused women. The theoretical implications and incremental clinical usefulness of targeting CP symptoms with abused populations are discussed.