Latent class analysis of post-traumatic stress symptoms and complex PTSD in child victims of sexual abuse and their response to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Background: PTSD symptoms are frequent in child victims of sexual abuse. Yet, authors have argued that early trauma could lead to alterations in development that go far beyond the primary symptoms of PTSD and have proposed Complex PTSD as an alternative diagnosis encompassing difficulties in affect...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2020-12-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1807171 |
| _version_ | 1797954513269686272 |
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| author | Martine Hébert Laetitia Mélissande Amédée |
| author_facet | Martine Hébert Laetitia Mélissande Amédée |
| author_sort | Martine Hébert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: PTSD symptoms are frequent in child victims of sexual abuse. Yet, authors have argued that early trauma could lead to alterations in development that go far beyond the primary symptoms of PTSD and have proposed Complex PTSD as an alternative diagnosis encompassing difficulties in affect regulation, relationships and self-concept. Objective: To delineate profiles in child victims of sexual abuse and explore whether profiles are associated with treatment response to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Method: Latent class analysis was used to identify symptom profiles at baseline assessment of 384 children ages 6 to 14, recruited in a Child Advocacy Centre following disclosure of sexual abuse. Dimensions of Complex PTSD diagnosis as proposed by the ICD-11 were derived from self-report questionnaires. Results: Latent class analysis identified a best fitting model of three classes: Classic PTSD regrouping 51% of children, Complex PTSD describing 23% of children, and Resilient describing 25% of children. Trauma-focused therapy was associated with a significant reduction of dissociation, internalizing, and externalizing problems for children of all three classes. Trauma-focused therapy was also linked to a significant reduction of PTSD symptoms with larger effect size (d = .90; 95%CI: 0.63–1.16) for children classified in the Complex PTSD class. Conclusion: These findings highlight the utility of a person-oriented approach to enhance our understanding of the diversity of profiles in child victims. The results offer empirical support for the ICD-11 PTSD and Complex PTSD distinction in a clinical sample of sexually abused children and the relevance of this distinction in foreseeing treatment outcomes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:18:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-660324151e984b8a9f78046b854600dd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2000-8066 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:18:41Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-660324151e984b8a9f78046b854600dd2023-01-12T15:31:32ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662020-12-0111110.1080/20008198.2020.18071711807171Latent class analysis of post-traumatic stress symptoms and complex PTSD in child victims of sexual abuse and their response to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural TherapyMartine Hébert0Laetitia Mélissande Amédée1Université du Québec à MontréalUniversité du Québec à MontréalBackground: PTSD symptoms are frequent in child victims of sexual abuse. Yet, authors have argued that early trauma could lead to alterations in development that go far beyond the primary symptoms of PTSD and have proposed Complex PTSD as an alternative diagnosis encompassing difficulties in affect regulation, relationships and self-concept. Objective: To delineate profiles in child victims of sexual abuse and explore whether profiles are associated with treatment response to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Method: Latent class analysis was used to identify symptom profiles at baseline assessment of 384 children ages 6 to 14, recruited in a Child Advocacy Centre following disclosure of sexual abuse. Dimensions of Complex PTSD diagnosis as proposed by the ICD-11 were derived from self-report questionnaires. Results: Latent class analysis identified a best fitting model of three classes: Classic PTSD regrouping 51% of children, Complex PTSD describing 23% of children, and Resilient describing 25% of children. Trauma-focused therapy was associated with a significant reduction of dissociation, internalizing, and externalizing problems for children of all three classes. Trauma-focused therapy was also linked to a significant reduction of PTSD symptoms with larger effect size (d = .90; 95%CI: 0.63–1.16) for children classified in the Complex PTSD class. Conclusion: These findings highlight the utility of a person-oriented approach to enhance our understanding of the diversity of profiles in child victims. The results offer empirical support for the ICD-11 PTSD and Complex PTSD distinction in a clinical sample of sexually abused children and the relevance of this distinction in foreseeing treatment outcomes.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1807171child sexual abusepost-traumatic stress disordercomplex ptsdcognitive behavioural therapydiagnosis |
| spellingShingle | Martine Hébert Laetitia Mélissande Amédée Latent class analysis of post-traumatic stress symptoms and complex PTSD in child victims of sexual abuse and their response to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy European Journal of Psychotraumatology child sexual abuse post-traumatic stress disorder complex ptsd cognitive behavioural therapy diagnosis |
| title | Latent class analysis of post-traumatic stress symptoms and complex PTSD in child victims of sexual abuse and their response to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy |
| title_full | Latent class analysis of post-traumatic stress symptoms and complex PTSD in child victims of sexual abuse and their response to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy |
| title_fullStr | Latent class analysis of post-traumatic stress symptoms and complex PTSD in child victims of sexual abuse and their response to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Latent class analysis of post-traumatic stress symptoms and complex PTSD in child victims of sexual abuse and their response to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy |
| title_short | Latent class analysis of post-traumatic stress symptoms and complex PTSD in child victims of sexual abuse and their response to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy |
| title_sort | latent class analysis of post traumatic stress symptoms and complex ptsd in child victims of sexual abuse and their response to trauma focused cognitive behavioural therapy |
| topic | child sexual abuse post-traumatic stress disorder complex ptsd cognitive behavioural therapy diagnosis |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1807171 |
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