Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25793582›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2015

A meta-analysis of risk factors for combat-related PTSD among military personnel and veterans.

Chen Xue, Yang Ge, Bihan Tang, Yuan Liu, Peng Kang, Meng Wang, Lulu Zhang

Registry-linked trialAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07309302 (Psychosocial Determinants and Impact of a Synchronous Remote Cognitive Remediation Program on Individuals With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.), which is not on this map. Cited by 179 papers, 13 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
179citing papers in PubMed, 13 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07309302 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Psychosocial Determinants and Impact of a Synchronous Remote Cognitive Remediation Program on Individuals With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversité du Québec a MontréalRan2025 to 2026Enrolled64ConditionsPost Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSDArmsCognitive Remediation Training, Control Group
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

179 citing papers in PubMed, 13 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  12. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder After Traumatic Brain Injury-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2020
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  19. Post-traumatic stress disorder.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2026
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119 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Chen XueInstitute of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Yang GeInstitute of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Bihan TangInstitute of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Yuan LiuInstitute of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Peng KangInstitute of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Meng WangFaculty of Health Service, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
Lulu ZhangInstitute of Military Health Management, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a complex and chronic disorder caused by exposure to a traumatic event, is a common psychological result of current military operations. It causes substantial distress and interferes with personal and social functioning. Consequently, identifying the risk factors that make military personnel and veterans more likely to experience PTSD is of academic, clinical, and social importance. Four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and PsycINFO) were used to search for observational studies (cross-sectional, retrospective, and cohort studies) about PTSD after deployment to combat areas. The literature search, study selection, and data extraction were conducted by two of the authors independently. Thirty-two articles were included in this study. Summary estimates were obtained using random-effects models. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, and publication bias tests were performed. The prevalence of combat-related PTSD ranged from 1.09% to 34.84%. A total of 18 significant predictors of PTSD among military personnel and veterans were found. Risk factors stemming from before the trauma include female gender, ethnic minority status, low education, non-officer ranks, army service, combat specialization, high numbers of deployments, longer cumulative length of deployments, more adverse life events, prior trauma exposure, and prior psychological problems. Various aspects of the trauma period also constituted risk factors. These include increased combat exposure, discharging a weapon, witnessing someone being wounded or killed, severe trauma, and deployment-related stressors. Lastly, lack of post-deployment support during the post-trauma period also increased the risk of PTSD. The current analysis provides evidence of risk factors for combat-related PTSD in military personnel and veterans. More research is needed to determine how these variables interact and how to best protect against susceptibility to PTSD.

Indexed as

Military PersonnelVeteransFemaleHumansMaleOdds RatioPrevalenceRisk FactorsStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticWar Exposure

Identifiers

PMID25793582
PMCPMC4368749

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.