Contemporaneous and Temporal Network Analysis of Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Chinese College Students with Childhood Adversity: A Longitudinal Study

To enhance understanding of the longitudinal progression of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) symptoms, this longitudinal study examined how CPTSD symptoms interact over time in Chinese college students with childhood trauma. From 18933 college students who took part in two surveys 12 months apart, 4,006 participants who reported adverse childhood experiences were screened. Cross-sectional network comparisons and cross-lagged panel network (CLPN) analysis characterized interactions among CPTSD symptoms. In the cross-sectional networks, feeling like a failure and avoid activities reminiscent of the trauma were the central symptoms. Takes long time to calm down and exaggerated startle are important bridge symptoms in the two networks respectively. The comparison of cross-sectional networks indicates that the global network strength was stable. The findings of the CLPN model reveal that feel worthless and feel like a failure had the highest "out" expected influence; exaggerated startle and avoid thoughts and feelings about the trauma had the highest "in" expected influence. By conducting cross-sectional network analyses, the study illuminated the attributes of CPTSD networks across various time points. Additionally, the CLPN analysis uncovered the longitudinal patterns of CPTSD symptoms.