Mediating role of avoidance of trauma disclosure and social disapproval in ICD-11 post-traumatic stress disorder and complex post-traumatic stress disorder: cross-sectional study in a Lithuanian clinical sample
ENBackground ICD-11 includes a new diagnosis of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), resulting predominantly from reoccurring or prolonged trauma. Previous studies showed that lack of social support is among the strongest predictors of PTSD, but social factors have been sparsely studied in the context of the ICD-11 definition of PTSD and CPTSD. Aims To analyse the factor structure of the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) in a Lithuanian clinical sample and to evaluate the mediating role of social and interpersonal factors in the relationship between trauma exposure and ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD. Method The sample comprised 280 adults from out-patient mental health centres (age, years: mean 39.48 (s.d. = 13.35); 77.5% female). Trauma-related stress symptoms were measured with the ITQ. Social disapproval was measured with the Social Acknowledgment Questionnaire (SAQ) and trauma disclosure using the Disclosure of Trauma Questionnaire (DTQ). Results ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD prevalence among the participants in this study was 13.9% and 10.0% respectively. Results indicated that avoidance of trauma disclosure mediated the relationship between trauma exposure and PTSD as well as CPTSD, whereas social disapproval mediated only the relationship between trauma exposure and CPTSD. Conclusions The findings suggest that disclosure of traumatic experiences and support from closest friends and family members might mitigate the effects of traumatic experiences, potentially reducing the risk of developing CPTSD. Keywords: ICD-11; trauma disclosure; social disapproval; PTSD; complex PTSD. [From the publication]
- Does trauma shape identity? Exploring the links between lifetime trauma exposure and identity status in emerging adulthood / Inga Truskauskaite-Kuneviciene, Julia Brailovskaia, Yuka Kamite, Gabija Petrauskaite, Jürgen Margraf and Evaldas Kazlauskas. Frontiers in psychology. 2020, 11, 10 p.
- "No posttraumatic stress disorder in Lithuania" : national health care fails to identify PTSD / Evaldas Kazlauskas, Paulina Zelviene, and Jonas Eimontas. Journal of traumatic stress. 2017, 30, p. 99-102.
- The Role of traumatic experiences and posttraumatic stress on social anxiety in a youth sample in Lithuania / Monika Kvedaraite, Paulina Zelviene, Ask Elklit, Evaldas Kazlauskas. Psychiatric quarterly. 2020, 91, p. 103-112.
- The Structure of ICD-11 PTSD and complex PTSD in Lithuanian mental health services / Evaldas Kazlauskas, Goda Gegieckaite, Philip Hyland, Paulina Zelviene, Marylene Cloitre. European journal of psychotraumatology. 2018, 9, 1, p.
