Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Jun 6;24(1):425.
doi: 10.1186/s12888-024-05830-z.

Retrospective ACEs predict complex PTSD symptoms in a large sample of Chinese young adults longitudinally: the moderating role of self-compassion

Yizhen Ren #  1 , Shuhan Yang #  2 , Yu Peng  3   4 , Aiyi Liu  1 , Zibin Zhu  5
Affiliations

Retrospective ACEs predict complex PTSD symptoms in a large sample of Chinese young adults longitudinally: the moderating role of self-compassion

Yizhen Ren et al. BMC Psychiatry. .

Abstract

This longitudinal study in Mainland China (2021-2022) explored the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) symptoms, with a focus on the role of self-compassion. Among 18,933 surveyed university students, 21.2% reported experiencing at least one ACE. Results revealed a clear relationship between ACEs and CPTSD symptoms. Furthermore, self-compassion, particularly the dimensions of self-judgment and isolation, moderated the association between retrospective ACEs and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and disturbance in self-organization (DSO) symptoms. These findings highlight the enduring impact of ACEs on CPTSD symptoms and emphasize the importance of early identification and targeted interventions, especially addressing self-judgment and isolation, to mitigate CPTSD risk among young Chinese adults.

Keywords: Adverse childhood experiences; CPTSD; Multidimensional self-compassion.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The Moderating Role of Self-Judgment Between Retrospective ACEs and PTSD Symptoms
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The Moderating Role of Self-Judgment Between Retrospective ACEs and DSO Symptoms
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The Moderating Role of Isolation Between Retrospective ACEs and PTSD Symptoms
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Courtois CA. Complex trauma, complex reactions: Assessment and treatment. Volume S. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy,; 2008. pp. 86–100. 1.
    1. Maercker A, et al. Proposals for mental disorders specifically associated with stress in the International classification of Diseases-11. Lancet. 2013;381(9878):1683–5. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)62191-6. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Maercker A, et al. Diagnosis and classification of disorders specifically associated with stress: proposals for ICD-11. World Psychiatry. 2013;12(3):198–206. doi: 10.1002/wps.20057. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Tian Y, et al. Complex PTSD in Chinese adolescents exposed to Childhood Trauma: A Latent Profile Analysis. J Interpers Violence. 2022;37(21–22):NP20190–211. doi: 10.1177/08862605211050111. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Brewin CR, et al. A review of current evidence regarding the ICD-11 proposals for diagnosing PTSD and complex PTSD. Clin Psychol Rev. 2017;58:1–15. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2017.09.001. - DOI - PubMed