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ICD-11 PTSD and complex PTSD in Lithuanian university students: Prevalence and associations with trauma exposure

Truskauskaite, Inga; Dumarkaite, Austeja; Petrauskaite, Gabija; Andersson, Gerhard; Brailovskaia, Julia; Karatzias, Thanos; Margraf, Jürgen; Kazlauskas, Evaldas

Authors

Inga Truskauskaite

Austeja Dumarkaite

Gabija Petrauskaite

Gerhard Andersson

Julia Brailovskaia

Jürgen Margraf

Evaldas Kazlauskas



Abstract

Objective: Young adults are at high risk for developing mental disorders. Moreover, trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders in emerging adulthood are highly prevalent. The study aimed to explore the prevalence of traumatic experiences, probable ICD-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), probable complex PTSD (CPTSD), and links between trauma exposure and traumatic stress reactions among first-year university students in Lithuania. Method: In total, 1,626 university students from Lithuania, 68.2% female, mean age 19.09 (SD = 1.05) years, were recruited for the study. Probable ICD-11 PTSDs were measured using the self-report International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ). Results: A majority (77.2%) of young adults had been exposed to traumatic experiences. The prevalence of probable ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD in the total sample was 4.6% and 3.4%, respectively. Both PTSD and CPTSD were associated with cumulative lifetime trauma experiences. CPTSD was related to sexual trauma, whereas PTSD was linked to single traumatic incidents, like a physical assault. Both probable PTSD and probable CPTSD were associated with physical and sexual abuse in childhood. Conclusion: The findings of our study show that nearly 8 in 10 university students were exposed to trauma at the beginning of their studies. The prevalence of probable PTSD/CPTSD was comparable to other studies conducted on the general population and university students.

Citation

Truskauskaite, I., Dumarkaite, A., Petrauskaite, G., Andersson, G., Brailovskaia, J., Karatzias, T., Margraf, J., & Kazlauskas, E. (2023). ICD-11 PTSD and complex PTSD in Lithuanian university students: Prevalence and associations with trauma exposure. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 15(5), 772–780. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001436

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 7, 2022
Online Publication Date Jan 23, 2023
Publication Date 2023-07
Deposit Date Jan 25, 2023
Journal Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy
Print ISSN 1942-9681
Electronic ISSN 1942-969X
Publisher American Psychological Association
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 15
Issue 5
Pages 772–780
DOI https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001436
Keywords trauma, prevalence, PTSD, complex PTSD, youth, Lithuania