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

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. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Does Trauma Shape Identity? Exploring the Links Between Lifetime Trauma Exposure and Identity Status in Emerging Adulthood

In emerging adulthood, coherent identity plays a protective role against the development of the disturbed psychosocial functioning and is seen as one of the defining characteristics of positive youth development. The factors that shape the identity are still understudied and little quantitative research has addressed, how trauma exposure is linked to emerging adults' identity. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate how exposure to traumatic experiences over the lifetime is associated with current identity status among emerging adults in an academic environment and to explore links between different types of traumatic experiences as well as the severity of exposure to trauma and identity statuses. The study sample consisted of 1,614 first-year undergraduate students from Lithuania with the age range of 18-29 years (M = 19.09, SD = 1.05, 68.28% female). The three distinct identity profiles were identified using the Latent Class Analysis, representing diffused, undifferentiated, and coherent identity statuses. The results provided no clear evidence of links between traumatic experiences and identity status for overall exposure and most types of traumatic events. However, our study concerns the potential importance of severe traumatic experiences, such as sexual trauma, on identity.