[Kizzie]

(Note - this is important information so it is also posted elsewhere in this board.)

As many of us know, there has been ongoing debate among clinicians and researchers regarding CPTSD as an official diagnosis.  See for example, the various articles from 2012 in the references; there was quite the 'to and fro' about this leading up to the publication of the 2015 edition of American Psychological Association Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Bryant, 2012; Herman, 2012; Resnick et al., 2012a, 2012b; Weiss, 2012).  In the end, CPTSD was included in the DSM, but only as a subsection under the more well-known Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Since then, however, there has been a growing body of research which provides evidence for including CPTSD as a unique or separate construct (Cloitre, Garvert, Weiss, Carlson & Bryant, 2014; Elklit, Hyland, & Shevlin, 2014; Hyland, 2016; Knefel, Garvert, Cloitre & Lueger-Schuster, 2015). As a result, it is anticipated that CPTSD will be included as a separate and distinct entity in the 11th version of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Classification of Diseases (ICD11) to be published in 2017. It remains to be seen if this will be the case for the next edition of the APA diagnostic manual.

References

Bryant, R. A. (2012). Simplifying complex PTSD: Comment on Resick et al. (2012). Journal of Traumatic Stress, 25(3), 252-253. doi:10.1002/jts.21696

Cloitre, M., Courtois, C., Ford, J. Green, B., Alexander, P., Briere, J., Herman, J. Lanius, R., Pearlman, L., Stolbach, B., Spinazzola, J. & van der Hart, O. (2012). ISTSS expert consensus treatment guidelines for Complex PTSD in adults. International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Elklit, A., Hyland, P., & Shevlin, M. (2014). Evidence of symptom profiles consistent with posttraumatic stress disorder and complex posttraumatic stress disorder in different trauma samples. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 51(10). doi:10.3402/ejpt.v5.24221

Herman, J. (2012). CPTSD is a distinct entity: Comment on Resick et al. (2012). Journal of Traumatic Stress, 25(3), 256-257. doi:10.1002/jts.21697

Hyland, P., Shevlin, M., Elklit, A., Murphy, J., Vallières, F., Garvert, D. W., & Cloitre, M. (2016). An Assessment of the Construct Validity of the ICD-11 Proposal for Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, And Policy, doi:10.1037/tra0000114

Knefel, M., Garvert, D. W., Cloitre, M., & Lueger-Schuster, B. (2015). Update to an evaluation of ICD-11 PTSD and complex PTSD criteria in a sample of adult survivors of childhood institutional abuse by Knefel & Lueger-Schuster (2013): a latent profile analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 61-6. doi:10.3402/ejpt.v6.25290

Resick, P. A., Bovin, M. J., Calloway, A. L., A. M., King, M. W., Mitchell, K. S., & Wolf, E. J. (2012). A critical evaluation of the complex PTSD literature: Implications for DSM-5. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 25(3), 241-251. doi:10.1002/jts.21699

Resick, P. A., Wolf, E. J., Stirman, S. W., Wells, S. Y., Suvak, M. K., Mitchell, K. S., & ... Bovin, M. J. (2012). Advocacy through science: Reply to comments on Resick et al. (2012). Journal of Traumatic Stress, 25(3), 260-263. doi:10.1002/jts.21702

Weiss, D. S. (2012). Introduction to the special feature on complex PTSD. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 25(3), 239-240. doi:10.1002/jts.21711

Note: Unfortunately I cannot upload the articles due to length and copyright, but your GP and/or T will likely be able to do so if there is any requirement.

[Dutch Uncle]

 

Thanks for staying on top of this and informing us. 

[MoonHare]

I wish to send my thanks to you as well Kizzie and not just for this post, but the whole board. I know its hard work as I used to run several boards.

Hope your day is great

[Kizzie]

How kind of you both - thank you!   

[chairmanmeow]

Sweet its about time! This will change everything for a lot of people.. misdiagnoses and practitioner ignorance has been all too common. This news does my heart good.

[Healing Finally]

Yes, thanks for this info.  I'm going to be changing therapists soon as my current therapist was not familiar with C-PTSD until I told her about it.  She is not a psychologist so I am now researching for a psychologist that understands and works with people who are dealing with C-PTSD.  With that person's help, I hope to gain insight to my past actions and reactions that have plagued me due to my wonky brain when I get triggered.  And then learn how to work through these triggers, hopefully remapping my brain so that I can live "pain free"

And yes, thank you very much Kizzie and all Admins for all your hard work to help us! 

[Suzanne]

I found this link from the UK Trauma Psychological Society, even the Royal College of Psychiatrists recognise as well as the NHS, but it's not mentioned in the NICE guidelines (national institute for care excellence).  I suppose the organisation is waiting for the WHO to list it.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwis2rKjp-PVAhWsBsAKHaFBDYkQFggoMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bps.org.uk%2Fsystem%2Ffiles%2FPublic%2520files%2FPolicy%2Fukpts_guideline_for_treating_complex_ptsd_draft_for_external_circulation.docx&usg=AFQjCNEl6Lw0LwjzMJNX3a0L3B-WVQklgQ

[Eyessoblue]

Suzanne that was a really interesting read thank you.

[Kizzie]

Yes, tks for this Suzanne   

Note:  I am currently on vacation but once back I will be updating this thread (and other areas of the web site and this forum including symptoms), now that the World Health Organization (WHO) has included Complex PTSD in their International Classification of Diseases (ICD).

Kizzie 

[Kizzie]

Well, I'm a bit late getting back to this,    but as I found out the WHO was doing work in the fall of 2017 on the actual wording of the diagnosis.  That finished at the end of Dec and it looks like the official diagnosis is as follows:

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (Complex PTSD) is a disorder that may develop following exposure to an event or series of events of an extremely threatening or horrific nature, most commonly prolonged or repetitive events from which escape is difficult or impossible (e.g., torture, slavery, genocide campaigns, prolonged domestic violence, repeated childhood sexual or physical abuse). The disorder is characterized by the core symptoms of PTSD (including brain and HPA Axis alterations); that is, all diagnostic requirements for PTSD have been met at some point during the course of the disorder. In addition, Complex PTSD is characterized by 1) severe and pervasive problems in affect regulation; 2) persistent beliefs about oneself as diminished, defeated or worthless, accompanied by deep and pervasive feelings of shame, guilt or failure related to the traumatic event; and 3) persistent difficulties in sustaining relationships and in feeling close to others. The disturbance causes significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning.

URL = https://icd.who.int/dev11/proposals/f/en#/http://id.who.int/icd/entity/585833559?readOnly=true&action=ContentEnhancementProposal&stableProposalGroupId=904bb7e6-14cc-462c-b31f-79ca70b8f628&notifsystem

The manual is supposed to be published in 2018 although I haven't been able to find a firm date. 

[teacherinapastlife]

 

[Dee]

I hope this will pressure APA to follow.  I can't imagine the rest of the world using a diagnosis that the US does not recognize.  Though, it is increasing recognized here.  Even government organizations are not only recognizing it but advocating for it to be included in the DSM.

[SunnyDays]

Thank you for sharing this... I'm going to print and found those books, since the DSM is something very relevant of course. Let's cross fingers for a new (and positive) update,