Trajectories of complex posttraumatic stress symptoms among Chinese college students with childhood adversities: The role of self-compassion

Liuyue Huang; Peilian Chi; Enna Wang; He Bu; Xinli Chi

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106138

Trajectories of complex posttraumatic stress symptoms among Chinese college students with childhood adversities: The role of self-compassion

Child Abuse Negl. 2024 Apr:150:106138. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106138. Epub 2023 Mar 21.

Authors

Liuyue Huang¹, Peilian Chi¹, Enna Wang², He Bu³, Xinli Chi⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macau; Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, University of Macau, Macau.
² School of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
³ School of Social and Public Administration, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China.
⁴ School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; The Shenzhen Humanities & Social Sciences Key Research Bases of the Center for Mental Health, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China. Electronic address: xinlichi@szu.edu.cn.

PMID: 36948929
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106138

Abstract

Background: Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is associated with severe impairments in psychosocial functions, but related longitudinal research is limited. To promote the mental health of college students with childhood adversities, it is imperative to investigate the development of CPTSD symptoms and the predictive factors.

Objectives: The study aimed to examine the latent trajectories of CPTSD symptoms among college students with childhood adversities and to identify the role of self-compassion in differentiating potential trajectories.

Methods: A total of 294 college students with childhood adversities completed self-report questionnaires on demographic backgrounds, childhood adversities, CPTSD symptoms, and self-compassion three times with an interval of three months. Latent class growth analysis was used to determine the trajectories of CPTSD symptoms. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to examine the association between self-compassion and trajectories subgroups while adjusting for demographic variables.

Results: Three heterogeneous groups of CPTSD symptoms among college students with childhood adversities were identified: the low-symptoms group (n = 123, 41.8 %), the moderate-symptoms group (n = 108, 36.7 %), and the high-risk group (n = 63, 21.4 %). Multinomial logistic regression showed that, after adjusting for demographic variables, students with higher levels of self-compassion were less likely to belong to the moderate-symptoms and high-risk group in comparison to the low-symptoms group.

Conclusions: The results suggest the trajectories of CPTSD symptoms of college students with childhood adversities were heterogeneous. Self-compassion was a protective factor against the development of CPTSD symptoms. The present study provided insights into the mental health promotion for individuals with adversities.

Keywords: CPTSD symptoms; Childhood adversities; College students; Self-compassion; Trajectories.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Child
Humans
Self Report
Self-Compassion
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / psychology
Students
Surveys and Questionnaires