Complex post-traumatic stress disorder

Complex trauma disorder (CTD), also known as borderline Personality disorder, is a serious, highly prevalent, stigmatised mental illness with no established biological understanding or effective treatment. People who have experienced complex trauma disorder frequently experience distressing emotional states, difficulty in relating to other people, and self-harming behaviour. About two in every 100 people will develop the symptoms of complex trauma disorder at some stage in their lives. These symptoms usually first appear in the mid to late teens or in early adulthood. Women are three times more likely to experience these than men. The trauma can be emotional, physical, or sexual abuse.

As adults, sufferers of CTD experience severe interpersonal stress, frequent suicidal thoughts, mood instability, impulsivity, and stress-related dissociation. Women with CTD are subject to high mortality and morbidity and are frequent users of health services. Suicide risk is extremely high in this population; at least 75 per cent of individuals with CTD attempt suicide, and 10 per cent complete suicide. With suicide rates in this patient population alarmingly high and on the upward trend, clinical research that can be translated into practice quickly is imperative.

The poor knowledge about this condition and lack of tailored medications often lead to sufferers being prescribed many different medications, each with significant side effects. All these difficulties contribute to the intense stigma that sufferers encounter in the community, and even in the hospital setting. CTD is far more complex than someone having a 'difficult' personality, and effective treatment and support is profoundly poor. Thus, a new and effective approach for this condition is vital for young women, their families, and the broader community. Current psychological treatments are expensive and difficult for CTD patients to access, while there is no clearly designated pharmacotherapy.