Surprisingly, CPTSD is not listed as a psychiatrist diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5); most mental health services are commissioned using these criteria.²

The current guidance for clinicians in the UK has been updated to include CPTSD, ³¹ however the recommended treatments, talking therapies including, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PET) are not in line with current research for treating CPTSD. CBT can be helpful for PTSD, but not for CPTSD, which typically is caused by repeated relational trauma such as all forms of childhood maltreatment and sexual trauma.² Indeed, it has been argued that many of the CBT and PET treatment studies for PTSD tend to exclude patients with symptoms of complex PTSD or borderline personality disorder, or a background of complex trauma. ^{7, 38}

This may also account for the frequently high non-response rates in many studies of over 50%, with dropout rates in many studies often as high as 54%, leading to many researchers highlighting the urgent need for innovative treatments. ^{29, 37}

The recommended talking therapy treatments, for PTSD, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Prolonged Exposure Therapy are not helpful for CPTSD.