Complex PTSD

  • Close Up Lonely Little Girl Hugging Toy Sitting At Home

    Supporting Children and Young People with Complex Trauma Histories: Rethinking Readiness for Treatment 

    Children and young people who have experienced trauma often present with a range of emotional, behavioural, and relational difficulties. There is robust evidence that trauma-focused psychological therapies are effective for PTSD in children and adolescents. Nonetheless, clinicians sometimes hesitate to offer these approaches to young people whose circumstances are complicated—for example, those with ongoing instability, high levels of distress, suicide risk, or multiple comorbidities. Some are told they are ‘not ready’, or that therapy should wait until other difficulties are managed. However, current evidence suggests that complexities are not, in themselves, a reason to delay treatment.

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  • Cute brilliant smart child of african american ethnicity study at home, doing homework, sitting on floor with book in hands smiling at camera with enthusiasm, happy to get new knowledge

    Children and Adolescents with Single and Multiple Traumas Response to PTSD Therapy: New Insights from a Major Meta-Analysis

    A 2023 meta-analysis led by Hoppen and colleagues examined whether children and adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) benefit equally from psychological interventions, regardless of whether they have experienced a single traumatic event or multiple traumas (Hoppen et al., 2023).

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  • ACEs boy

    ACEs – Adverse Childhood Experiences

    Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are defined as situations that lead to an elevated risk of children and young people experiencing damaging impacts on their health and other social outcomes across the life course.

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  • Dr. Rachel M Hiller

    Complex PTSD in young people in care

    Aishat Hamzat, Rachel M Hiller and Helen Minnis discuss what research tells us about the mechanisms underlying complex PTSD symptoms experienced by young people in care. They consider implications for treatment and broader support provided for these young people

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  • ICD-10 versus ICD-11: the effects of PTSD diagnoses

    2018 saw PTSD symptoms being changed by the International Classification of Diseases. Now, data from a study recently published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry have shed light on the clinical utility of these revisions in the ICD-11.

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  • Can we predict (complex) PTSD in young people in foster care?

    Adverse, early life experiences put young people at risk of developing psychological difficulties. Potential difficulties might include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or the newly proposed, complex PTSD.

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  • Catherine Frogley

    Developmental Trauma: How useful is this framework?

    Dr Catherine Frogley reflects on the use of the developmental trauma framework from her perspective as a Clinical Psychologist working in a Post-Adoption Support Service.

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  • Traumatised young boy

    Trauma

    Most children and young people experience at least one traumatic event before age of 18 years.

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