Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Complex PTSD

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Trauma Sequelae

  • 1205 Accesses

Abstract

Some people who experience traumatic experiences develop a clinical presentation that goes beyond PTSD. Beyond the core PTSD symptoms, complex PTSD is characterised by severe affect regulation impairment, changes in attitudes towards other people and oneself. Typically, complex post-traumatic stress disorder is caused by prolonged traumatic experiences consisting of multiple or recurring traumatic events. The ICD-11 additionally states that these are usually events from which escape is difficult or even impossible (e.g. torture, slavery, genocide campaigns, continued domestic violence, repeated sexual or physical abuse in childhood).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    The following three points are partly cited from Maercker (2017), pp. 62–66.

Literature

  • Ben-Ezra, M., Karatzias, T., Hyland, P., Brewin, C. R., Cloitre, M., Bisson, J. I., … Shevlin, M. (2018). Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) as per ICD 11 proposals: A population study in Israel. Depression and Anxiety. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22723

  • Bondjers, K., Hyland, P., Roberts, N. P., Bisson, J. I., Willebrand, M., & Arnberg, F. K. (2019). Validation of a clinician-administered diagnostic measure of ICD-11 PTSD and complex PTSD: The International Trauma Interview in a Swedish sample. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10(1), 1665617.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boon, S., Steele, K., & Van der Hart, O. (2013). Traumabedingte Dissoziation bewältigen: Ein Skills-Training für Klienten und ihre Therapeuten. Junfermann.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brewin, C. R., Cloitre, M., Hyland, P., Shevlin, M., Maercker, A., Bryant, R. A., … Somasundaram, D. (2017). A review of current evidence regarding the ICD-11 proposals for diagnosing PTSD and complex PTSD. Clinical Psychology Review, 58, 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charuvastra, A., & Cloitre, M. (2008). Social bonds and posttraumatic stress disorder. Annual Review of Psychology, 59, 301–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cloitre, M., Courtois, C. A., Charuvastra, A., Carapezza, R., Stolbach, B. C., & Green, B. L. (2011). Treatment of complex PTSD: Results of the ISTSS Expert Clinician Survey on best practices. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 24(6), 615–627.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cloitre, M., Garvert, D. W., Weiss, B., Carlson, E. B., & Bryant, R. A. (2014). Distinguishing PTSD, complex PTSD, and borderline personality disorder: A latent class analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 5, 25097.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cloitre, M., Roberts, N., Bisson, J., & Brewin, C. R. (2018). The International Trauma Questionnaire ITQ. Anhang zu M. Cloitre, M. Shevlin, C. R. Brewin, J. Bisson, N. Roberts, A. Maercker, T. Karatzias, & P. Hyland, The International Trauma Questionnaire: Development of a self-report measure of ICD-11 PTSD and complex PTSD. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavia, 138, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.12956

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilbar, O., Hyland, P., Cloitre, M., & Dekel, R. (2018). ICD-11 complex PTSD among Israeli male perpetrators of intimate partner violence: Construct validity and risk factors. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 54, 49–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hecker, S., Huber, S., Mayer, T., & Maercker, A. (2018). Differential associations of PTSD and complex PTSD symptoms with traumatic experiences and postmigration difficulties in a culturally diverse refugee sample. Journal of Traumatic Stress. im Druck.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herman, J. (1994). Die Narben der Gewalt: Traumatische Erfahrungen verstehen und überwinden. Kindler.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyland, P., Ceannt, R., Daccache, F., Daher, R. A., Sleiman, J., Gilmore, B., … Vallières, F. (2018). Are posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex-PTSD distinguishable within a treatment-seeking sample of Syrian refugees living in Lebanon? Global Mental Health, 5. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2018.2

  • Janet, P. (2001). Study of cases of anterograde amnesia in a disease of mental disintegration. History of Psychiatry, 12(48), 481–485. Erstveröff. 1892.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jung, C. G. (1951). Zur Psychologie des Kindarchetypus (überarb.). In C. G. Jung. Gesammelte Werke Bd. 9/1 (S. 259–305). Zürich, CH: Rascher. Erstveröff. 1940.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karatzias, T., Cloitre, M., Maercker, A., Kazlauskas, E., Shevlin, M., Hyland, P., … Brewin, C. R. (2017). Ptsd and complex PTSD: ICD-11 updates on concept and measurement in the UK, USA, Germany and Lithuania. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 8(sup7), 1418103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knefel, M., Karatzias, T., Ben-Ezra, M., Cloitre, M., Lueger-Schuster, B., & Maercker, A. (2018). The replicability of the ICD-11 criteria for complex posttraumatic stress disorder in adults. A cross-cultural network analysis. Psychological Medicine, im Druck.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krammer, S., Kleim, B., Simmen-Janevska, K., & Maercker, A. (2016). Childhood trauma and complex posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in older adults: A study of direct effects and social-interpersonal factors as potential mediators. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 17(5), 593–607.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lanius, R. A., Vermetten, E., Loewenstein, R. J., Brand, B., Schmahl, C., Bremner, J. D., & Spiegel, D. (2010). Emotion modulation in PTSD: Clinical and neurobiological evidence for a dissociative subtype. American Journal of Psychiatry, 167(6), 640–647.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maercker, A. (1998). Posttraumatische Belastungsstörungen: Psychologie der Extrembelastungsfolgen bei Opfern politscher Gewalt. Pabst.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maercker, A. (2017). Trauma und Traumafolgestörungen. Beck.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Maercker, A., Bernays, F., Rohner, S. L., & Thoma, M. V. (2021). A cascade model of complex posttraumatic stress disorder centered on childhood trauma and maltreatment, attachment, and socio‐interpersonal factors. Journal of Traumatic Stress, online first: https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22756.

  • Maercker, A., Brewin, C. R., Bryant, R. A., Cloitre, M., van Ommeren, M., Jones, L. M., … Somasundaram, D. J. (2013). Diagnosis and classification of disorders specifically associated with stress: Proposals for ICD-11. World Psychiatry, 12(3), 198–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maercker, A., Hecker, T., Augsburger, M., & Kliem, S. (2018). ICD-11 Prevalence rates of posttraumatic stress disorder and complex posttraumatic stress disorder in a German nationwide sample. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 206(4), 270–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malti, T., & Noam, G. G. (2016). Social-emotional development: From theory to practice. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 13(6), 652–665.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marinova, Z., & Maercker, A. (2015). Biological correlates of complex posttraumatic stress disorder: State of research and future directions. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 6(1), 25913.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marinova, Z., Maercker, A., Grünblatt, E., Wojdacz, T. K., & Walitza, S. (2017). A pilot investigation on DNA methylation modifications associated with complex posttraumatic symptoms in elderly traumatized in childhood. BMC Research Notes, 10(1), 752.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nijenhuis, E. R. (2017). The trinity of trauma: Ignorance, fragility, and control: Enactive trauma therapy. Vandenhoeck et Ruprecht.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Nijenhuis, E. R. S., & Matthess, H. (2006). Traumabezogene strukturelle Dissoziation der Persönlichkeit. Psychotherapie im Dialog, 4, 393–398.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perkonigg, A., Höfler, M., Cloitre, M., Wittchen, H.-U., Trautmann, S., & Maercker, A. (2016). Evidence for two different ICD-11 posttraumatic stress disorders in a community sample of adolescents and young adults. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 266(4), 317–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Powers, A., Fani, N., Carter, S., Cross, D., Cloitre, M., & Bradley, B. (2017). Differential predictors of DSM-5 PTSD and ICD-11 complex PTSD among African American women. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 8(1), 1338914.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Priebe, K., Schmahl, C., & Stiglmayr, C. (2014). Dissoziation: Theorie und Therapie. Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, N., Cloitre, M., Bisson, J., & Brewin, C. R. (2016). PTSD & complex PTSD Diagnostic Interview Schedule for ICD-11. Test Version 2.0. Unveröffentlichtes Manuskript.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sack, M., Sachsse, U., & Schellong, J. (Hrsg.). (2012). Komplexe Traumafolgestörungen: Diagnostik und Behandlung von Folgen schwerer Gewalt und Vernachlässigung. Stuttgart: Schattauer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sack, M., Sachsse, U., Overkamp, B., & Dulz, B. (2013). Trauma-related disorders in patients with borderline personality disorders. Results of a multicenter study. Der Nervenarzt, 84(5), 608–614.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stadtmann, M. P., Maercker, A., Binder, J., & Schnepp, W. (2018). Why do i have to suffer? Symptom management, views, and experiences of persons with a CPTSD: A grounded theory. BMC Psychology. im Druck.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van der Kolk, B. A., Roth, S., Pelcovitz, D., Sunday, S., & Spinazzola, J. (2005). Disorders of extreme stress: The empirical foundation of a complex adaptation to trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 18, 389–399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WHO (World Health Organization). (2018). ICD-11 Beta Draft (Mortality and Morbidity Statistics). https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en. Retrieved: 9. Okt. 2018.

  • Wolf, E. J., Miller, M. W., Kilpatrick, D., Resnick, H. S., Badour, C. L., Marx, B. P., … Friedman, M. J. (2015). ICD-11 complex PTSD in US National and veteran samples: Prevalence and structural associations with PTSD. Clinical Psychological Science, 3(2), 215–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, University of Zurich, Department of Psychology, Zurich, Switzerland

    Andreas Maercker

Authors
  1. Andreas Maercker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andreas Maercker .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, University of Zurich, Department of Psychology, Zurich, Switzerland

    Andreas Maercker

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Maercker, A. (2022). Complex PTSD. In: Maercker, A. (eds) Trauma Sequelae. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-64057-9_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation