ICD-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD among organized violence survivors in modern South Korean history of political oppression.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Construct and discriminant validity of the ICD-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) has been examined worldwide. However, little is known about CPTSD in Korean population who are suffering with long-term responses of organized violence in their context. DESIGN This study conducted a cross-sectional survey to assess the construct and discriminant validity of the ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD using the Korean International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) among organized violence survivors of past political oppression (from 1940s to 2010s) in South Korea. METHOD A total of 236 survivors and families completed the survey including the ITQ. A confirmatory factor analysis and a multinomial logistic regression were conducted. RESULTS A second-order eight-factor, the ICD-11 CPTSD model, best described the structure of CPTSD. Compared to the non-diagnosed group, having above median score of cumulative trauma was a risk factor for PTSD [Odds ratio (OR) = 3.18] and CPTSD (OR = 3.27). Having above median score of cumulative social stressors increased the risk of CPTSD, relative to PTSD (OR = 4.84), and to the non-diagnosed group (OR = 7.79). CONCLUSIONS The ITQ seemed applicable to the Korean culture, showing a valid construct and meaningfully distinguishing ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD.