Trauma profiles of men and women in forensic services
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Symptom profiles of men and women in forensic services who have experienced trauma (evidence for proposed ICD-11 PTSD and complex PTSD)
IRAS ID
185343
Contact name
Richard Browne
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 28 days
Research summary
There is a current debate as to whether complex trauma (i.e. protracted interpersonal trauma) is associated with a set of symptoms which are related, yet distinct from the current post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis. The World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), a medical classification list, has proposed a complex PTSD (CPTSD) category which includes symptoms of PTSD, with additional symptoms which relate to: emotional regulation; relationships with others; and sense-of-self. Three studies have found evidence for the ICD-11 diagnosis. However, the debate as to whether PTSD and CPTSD represent distinct diagnoses continues.
In addition, there is limited research on the prevalence of PTSD in prison populations although there is evidence for high levels of exposure to childhood trauma in this group.
The proposed study will look to recruit 160 participants, all male and female offenders, from two Scottish prisons, HMP Cornton Vale and HMP Glenochil. It will use a battery of eight questionnaires, which will be completed on one occasion, taking roughly 60 minutes. It is being carried out as part of a doctorate in Clinical Psychology and is sponsored by The University of Edinburgh. The process of data collection, analysis and publication is planned to take two years.
It will add to the evidence as to whether CPTSD and PTSD represent distinct diagnoses, and will be the first to look at this in a prison population. In addition, it will examine how trauma symptoms compare between males and females. It will also add to the evidence regarding the prevalence of PTSD in a prison population, and will be the first to look at the prevalence of PTSD in a male, Scottish prison.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 4
REC reference
15/WS/0213
Date of REC Opinion
16 Nov 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion