The prevalence and risk factors of complex post-traumatic stress disorder in victims of intimate partner violence

J Psychiatr Res. 2026 Jan 7;194:242-251. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.01.015. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to explore risk factors of ICD-11 complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) among intimate partner violence (IPV) victims in China.

METHODS: We conducted a combination of online and offline surveys of trauma exposure, mental health problems, and psychological factors among IPV victims in hospitals and on social media. A total of 170 participants who had experienced IPV were collected.

RESULTS: According to the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) results, CPTSD prevalence was 31.2 % and PTSD prevalence was 17.1 %. In the one-way ANOVA analysis, the CPTSD group was significantly different from the PTSD and non-PTSD groups on almost all variables, such as anxiety, depression, attachment, personality, and social support. Multiple logistic regression showed that CPTSD was associated with more severe anxiety, higher levels of attachment anxiety, psychoticism (P), and neuroticism (N).

CONCLUSION: CPTSD was more common than PTSD among IPV victims, and the CPTSD group showed more severe and extensive mental health problems than the PTSD group and Non-CPTSD/PTSD group. In addition, attachment anxiety was considered to be the strongest factor of those mental and psychological factors. These findings may have intervention implications for IPV victims with CPTSD.

PMID:41520537 | DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.01.015