Change in prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in the two years following trauma: a meta-analytic study

Diamond, P. R., Airdrie, J. N. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1619-3172, Hiller, R., Fraser, A., Hiscox, L. V. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6296-7442, Hamilton-Giachritsis, C. and Halligan, S. L. 2022. Change in prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in the two years following trauma: a meta-analytic study. European Journal of Psychotraumatology 13 (1) , 2066456. 10.1080/20008198.2022.2066456

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Abstract

Background: Understanding the course of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the factors that impact this is essential to inform decisions about when and for whom screening and intervention are likely to be beneficial. Objective: To provide meta-analytic evidence of the course of recovery from PTSD in the first year following trauma, and the factors that influence that recovery. Method: We conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies of adult PTSD prevalence which included at least two assessments within the first 12 months following trauma exposure, examining prevalence statistics through to 2 years post-trauma. We examined trauma intentionality (intentional or non-intentional), PTSD assessment method (clinician or self-report), sample sex distribution, and age as moderators of PTSD prevalence over time. Results: We identified 78 eligible studies including 16,484 participants. Pooled prevalence statistics indicated that over a quarter of individuals presented with PTSD at 1 month post-trauma, with this proportion reducing by a third between 1 and 3 months. Beyond 3 months, any prevalence changes were detected over longer intervals and were small in magnitude. Intentional trauma, younger age, and female sex were associated with higher PTSD prevalence at 1 month. In addition, higher proportions of females, intentional trauma exposure, and higher baseline PTSD prevalence were each associated with larger reductions in prevalence over time. Conclusions: Recovery from PTSD following acute trauma exposure primarily occurs in the first 3 months post-trauma. Screening measures and intervention approaches offered at 3 months may better target persistent symptoms than those conducted prior to this point.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Psychology Research Institutes & Centres > Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC)
Publisher:	Taylor and Francis Group
ISSN:	2000-8066
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	15 June 2023
Date of Acceptance:	7 April 2022
Last Modified:	12 Jun 2025 21:16
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/160372

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