A critical evaluation of the complex PTSD literature: Implications for DSM‐5
Date
2012
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Traumatic Stress
Abstract
Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) has been proposed as a diagnosis for capturing the diverse clusters of symptoms observed
in survivors of prolonged trauma that are outside the current definition of PTSD. Introducing a new diagnosis requires a high standard
of evidence, including a clear definition of the disorder, reliable and valid assessment measures, support for convergent and discriminant
validity, and incremental validity with respect to implications for treatment planning and outcome. In this article, the extant literature on
CPTSD is reviewed within the framework of construct validity to evaluate the proposed diagnosis on these criteria. Although the efforts
in support of CPTSD have brought much needed attention to limitations in the trauma literature, we conclude that available evidence does
not support a new diagnostic category at this time. Some directions for future research are suggested.
Description
item.page.type
Article
item.page.format
Keywords
complex trauma, PTSD, symptoms, diagnosis
Citation
Resick, P. A., Bovin, M. J., Calloway, A. L., Dick, 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.