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The present study proposes and tests a cascade model of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) focusing on childhood trauma and maltreatment, attachment, and socio-interpersonal factors. Multigroup path analysis was used to examine data from 126 individuals formerly affected by compulsory social measures and placements (CSMP) in their childhood and/or adolescence (i.e., risk group [RG]; M age = 70.8 years) and an age-matched control group (CG; n = 125; M age = 70.6 years). The final model confirmed the cascade structure, with stronger associations emerging in the RG. Childhood trauma and maltreatment were associated with attachment anxiety, β = |.20|-.30, which was related to all socio-interpersonal factors (i.e., disclosure of trauma, social acknowledgment, and social support), β = .27-|.54|; the latter were associated with substantial aspects of the CPTSD symptoms as well as life satisfaction, β = |.21|-.42.Among participants in the CG, we observed more direct, rather than mediated, paths to CPTSD symptoms. Adulthood trauma exposure did not follow the full cascade pattern but was associated with the socio-interpersonal factors. Nevertheless, more in-depth clinical knowledge of CPTSD and potential targets for psychological treatment may be gained from the confirmation of this newly proposed cascade model of CPTSD.Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) was recognized for the first time as a diagnostic category in the current (i.e., 11th revision) of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11; World Health Organization, 2020). In addition to the core symptoms of the "classic" posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; i.e., reexperiencing, avoidance, and current threat), patients with CPTSD are also affected by specific disturbances in self-organizationThis is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.

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Child welfare practices in the last century have been linked to a high risk for child maltreatment and the subsequent development of mental ill‐health. However, not all affected individuals develop clinically relevant psychopathology, which can be considered as a form of resilience. Such resilience is insufficiently understood in survivors of an advanced age. Therefore, this exploratory study aimed to depict a resilience profile of Swiss older adult survivors of child welfare‐related maltreatment (n = 132; Mage = 71 years) and to contrast it with age‐matched controls (n = 125). Approximately 30% of survivors did not meet the diagnostic criteria for any of the assessed current or lifetime DSM‐5 disorders. These survivors were older, experienced less physical abuse, and had higher trait resilience, self‐esteem, income, and satisfaction with their socio‐economic status. They had lower levels of neuroticism and some empathy characteristics. Group differences in the resilience profiles suggest that resilience‐related aspects may vary as a function of past adversity.

While chronic and acute stress are often associated with negative health, the sense of coherence–revised (SOC‐R) is proposed to facilitate coping with stress and promote health. However, research is lacking on the specific mechanisms. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate potential mediating and moderating mechanisms of SOC‐R in the relationship between stress and health. Using a cross‐sectional design, standardized questionnaires assessed SOC‐R, acute (perceived) stress, early‐life adversity (ELA; indicator for early‐life chronic stress), mental and physical health, and satisfaction with life. Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted with N = 531 Irish adults (mean age: 59.5 years; 58.4% female). Regarding acute (perceived) stress, results showed that SOC‐R and its Manageability subscale significantly mediated the association between perceived stress and mental health, and satisfaction with life. SOC‐R and its Manageability subscale also significantly moderated the association between perceived stress and mental health. Regarding ELA, the Manageability subscale significantly mediated the association between ELA and mental health, and satisfaction with life; and the Balance subscale significantly mediated the association between ELA and physical health. SOC‐R may provide a useful focus for stress‐related research, with future longitudinal studies needed to examine SOC‐R as a long‐term modulating pathway between stress and health.