The relationship between complex PTSD and dissociation: longitudinal findings across Western and South Asian female samples

Abstract

Purpose: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dissociation are common responses to trauma, especially interpersonal and betrayal trauma. Dissociation has been proposed to be a core concept in understanding PTSD. However, little is known about the bidirectional relationship between dissociation and ICD-11 complex PTSD (CPTSD) symptoms. This study examined the relationship between classical PTSD, disturbances in self-organization (DSO), and dissociative symptoms across two culturally different samples. Methods: Participants from Western and South Asian countries completed validated measures of PTSD, DSO, and dissociation two times, approximately six months apart. Results: Across the Western (N = 101) and South Asian (N = 160) samples, at baseline, 71.7% to 84.2% of participants with probable CPTSD exhibited co-occurring dissociative symptoms, while 70.0% to 72.3% of participants with dissociative symptoms had probable PTSD or CPTSD. Dissociative symptoms were less common in participants with probable PTSD (20.0% to 28.6%). In addition, dissociative symptoms predicted subsequent levels of classical PTSD symptoms across the two samples (β = 0.241 to 0.246, p