Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Men with Serious Mental Illness: A Reconceptualization

Abstract

This paper proposes a reconceptualization of serious mental illness (SMI) utilizing the concept of Complex-Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD). While the effects of trauma in men have recently received increased attention, the impact of chronic exposure to interpersonal trauma during childhood remains under assessed and under recognized. This holds true particularly for men diagnosed with SMI. The study of two clinical case vignettes of men who have been psychiatrically hospitalized for many years illustrates the necessity of trauma assessments and trauma-focused treatments within this population.