ICD ‐11 PTSD and complex PTSD amongst Syrian refugees in Lebanon: the factor structure and the clinical utility of the International Trauma Questionnaire

Objective Support for ICD ‐11 post‐traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) and complex PTSD ( CPTSD ) is growing; however, few studies include refugees or examine the clinical utility of PTSD / CPTSD classifications. This study sought to provide the first evaluations of (i) the factor structure of ICD ‐11 PTSD / CPTSD amongst refugees in the Middle East; and (ii) the clinical utility of the International Trauma Questionnaire ( ITQ ) to identify PTSD / CPTSD in a humanitarian context. Method Participants were 112 treatment‐seeking Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. Factorial validity was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis ( CFA ) based on responses to the ITQ . Clinical utility of the ITQ was assessed through semi‐structured interviews with six Lebanese psychotherapists. Results Complex PTSD (36.1%) was more common than PTSD (25.2%), and no sex or age differences were observed at the prevalence or symptomatic levels. CFA results supported a two‐factor higher‐order model consistent with ICD ‐11 PTSD / CPTSD . Qualitative findings indicated that the ITQ is generally positively regarded, with some limitations and suggested modifications noted. Conclusion This is the first study to support the ICD ‐11 PTSD / CPTSD amongst refugees in the Middle East and the clinical utility of the ITQ in a humanitarian context. Findings support the growing evidence for the cross‐cultural applicability of ICD ‐11 PTSD / CPTSD .