The ITQ is a brief, simply worded measure of the core features of PTSD and CPTSD. It is consistent with the organizing principles of the ICD-11 to maximize clinical utility and international applicability through a focus on a limited but central set of symptoms. The measure is freely available and can be found in the body of this paper.

Background The COVID‐19 pandemic in Ireland resulted in a nationwide quarantine on March 27, 2020. This study represents the first assessment of rates of anxiety and depression in the general population of Ireland during the pandemic. Aims Our first aim was to estimate the probable prevalence rates of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and depression and to identify sociodemographic risk factors associated with screening positive for GAD or depression. Our second aim was to determine if COVID‐19 related anxiety was highest amongst those in society at greatest risk of morality from COVID‐19. Method Self‐report data were collected from a nationally representative Irish sample (N = 1041) online between March 31 and April 5; the first week of the nationwide quarantine measures. Recognized cut‐off scores on the GAD‐7 and PHQ‐9 were used to estimate rates of GAD and depression. Correlates of screening positive for GAD or depression were assessed using logistic regression analysis. Results GAD (20.0%), depression (22.8%) and GAD or depression (27.7%) was common. Screening positive for GAD or depression was associated with younger age, female sex, loss of income due to COVID‐19, COVID‐19 infection and higher perceived risk of COVID‐19 infection. Citizens aged 65 and older had significantly higher levels of COVID‐19 related anxiety than adults aged 18–34. Conclusions Initial results from this multi‐wave study monitoring changes in population anxiety and depression throughout the pandemic indicate that GAD and depression were common experiences in the population during the initial phase of the COVID‐19 pandemic.

CPTSD is highly prevalent in treatment seeking populations who have been multiply traumatised in childhood and adulthood and appropriate interventions should now be developed to aid recovery from this debilitating condition.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented global crisis necessitating drastic changes to living conditions, social life, personal freedom and economic activity. No study has yet examined the presence of psychiatric symptoms in the UK population in similar conditions.AimsWe investigated the prevalence of COVID-19 related anxiety, generalised anxiety, depression and trauma symptoms in a representative sample of the UK population during an early phase of the pandemic, and estimated associations with variables likely to influence these symptoms.MethodBetween March 23rd and March 28th 2020, a quota sample of 2025 UK adults 18 years and older, stratified by age, sex and household income, was recruited by online survey company Qualtrics. Participants completed measures of depression (PHQ9), generalised anxiety (GAD7), and trauma symptoms relating to the pandemic (ITQ). Bivariate and multivariate associations were calculated for age, gender, rural vs urban environment, presence of children in the household, income, loss of income, pre-existing health conditions in self and someone close, infection in self and someone close, and perceived risk of infection over the next month.ResultsHigher levels of anxiety, depression and trauma symptoms were reported compared to previous population studies, but not dramatically so. Meeting the criteria for either anxiety or depression, and trauma symptoms was predicted by young age, presence of children in the home, and high estimates of personal risk. Anxiety and depression symptoms were also predicted by low income, loss of income, and pre-existing health conditions in self and other. Specific anxiety about COVID-19 was greater in older participants.Conclusions The UK population, especially older citizens, were largely resilient in the early stages of the pandemic. However, several specific COVID-related variables are associated with psychological distress: particularly having children at home, loss of income because of the pandemic, as well as having a pre-existing health condition, exposure to the virus and high estimates of personal risk. Further similar surveys, particularly of those with children at home, are required as the pandemic progresses.

The factorial and discriminant validity of ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD was supported, and ICD-11 produces fewer diagnostic cases than DSM-5.

Among the conditions following exposure to traumatic life events proposed by ICD-11 are Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (CPTSD). The primary aim of this study was to provide an assessment of the reliability and validity of a newly developed self-report measure of ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD: the ICD-11 Trauma Questionnaire (ICD-TQ). Participants in this study were a sample of individuals who were referred for psychological therapy to a National Health Service (NHS) trauma centre in Scotland (N=193). Participants completed the ICD-TQ and measures of traumatic life events, DSM-5 PTSD, emotion dysregulation, self-esteem, and interpersonal difficulties. Confirmatory factor analysis results supported the factorial validity of the ICD-TQ with results in line with ICD-11 proposals. The ICD-TQ demonstrated satisfactory internal reliability, and correlation results indicated that the scale exhibited convergent and discriminant validity. Current results provide initial support for the psychometric properties of this initial version of the ICD-TQ. Future theoretical and empirical work will be required to generate a final version of the ICD-TQ that will match the diagnostic structure of PTSD and CPTSD when ICD-11 is published.

The primary aim of this study was to provide an assessment of the current prevalence rates of International Classification of Diseases (11th rev.) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) among the adult population of the United States and to identify characteristics and correlates associated with each disorder. A total of 7.2% of the sample met criteria for either PTSD or CPTSD, and the prevalence rates were 3.4% for PTSD and 3.8% for CPTSD. Women were more likely than men to meet criteria for both PTSD and CPTSD. Cumulative adulthood trauma was associated with both PTSD and CPTSD; however, cumulative childhood trauma was more strongly associated with CPTSD than PTSD. Among traumatic stressors occurring in childhood, sexual and physical abuse by caregivers were identified as events associated with risk for CPTSD, whereas sexual assault by noncaregivers and abduction were risk factors for PTSD. Adverse childhood events were associated with both PTSD and CPTSD, and equally so. Individuals with CPTSD reported substantially higher psychiatric burden and lower levels of psychological well-being compared to those with PTSD and those with neither diagnosis.

The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as it relates to individuals’ experiences of the COVID‐19 pandemic has yet to be determined. This study was conducted to determine rates of COVID‐19–related PTSD in the Irish general population, the level of comorbidity with depression and anxiety, and the sociodemographic risk factors associated with COVID‐19–related PTSD. A nationally representative sample of adults from the general population of the Republic of Ireland (N = 1,041) completed self‐report measures of all study variables. The rate of COVID‐19–related PTSD was 17.7% (n = 184), 95% CI [15.35%, 19.99%], and there was a high level of comorbidity with generalized anxiety (49.5%) and depression (53.8%). Meeting the diagnostic requirement for COVID‐19–related PTSD was associated with younger age, male sex, living in a city, living with children, moderate and high perceived risk of COVID‐19 infection, and screening positive for anxiety or depression. Posttraumatic stress symptoms related to the COVID‐19 pandemic are common in the general population. Our results show that health professionals responsible for responding to the COVID‐19 pandemic should expect to routinely encounter symptoms and concerns related to posttraumatic stress.