Validation of the CPTSD-DSO scale : A measure for assessing the disturbance in self-organization aspects of complex PTSD

Recent work has continued to deepen our understanding of the manifestation of Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). While disturbance of self-organization (DSO) is identified as a key symptom set distinguishing CPTSD from general PTSD diagnostic criteria, specific DSO assessments which include attachment themes would be a helpful tool for clinicians to address DSO in clinical, subclinical, and nonclinical populations. The current research introduces the preliminary validation of the 38-item CPTSD-DSO scale, which has negative self-concept, affect dysregulation, and attachment disruption/interpersonal problem subscales. The sample consisted of 2835 participants collected from online data platforms and an online community sample, with 223 participants indicating a PTSD diagnosis. The scale demonstrated adequate internal consistency alongside strict invariance when comparing males and females as well as across nonclinical and PTSD subgroups. The scale demonstrated expected convergent validity with a brief ACE measure, adult mental health, and a traumatic event checklist. Finally, the scale showed significantly higher scores for the CPTSD subgroup when compared to the general PTSD subgroup. Findings suggest the CPTSD-DSO can be a useful tool for assessing DSO components and opening discussions about self-organization issues in clinical, subclinical, and nonclinical settings.

Highlights

• Prior work has sought to validate measures for complex PTSD (CPTSD) symptoms.
• This measure focuses on the disturbance in self organization (DSO) aspect of CPTSD.
• Strict invariance was shown for males and females and clinical/nonclinical groups.
• The CPTSD-DSO shows promise for assessing DSO constructs in various populations.