Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35646293›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of psychotraumatology2022

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

P R Diamond, J N Airdrie, R Hiller, A Fraser, L V Hiscox, C Hamilton-Giachritsis, S L Halligan

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of psychotraumatology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed, 3 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

34 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Sequential decreases in basolateral amygdala response to threat predict failure to recover from PTSD.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2025
    Article
  20. Observational
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.

P R DiamondDepartment of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
J N AirdrieDepartment of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
R HillerDepartment of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
A FraserBristol Population Health Science Institute, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
L V HiscoxDepartment of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
C Hamilton-GiachritsisDepartment of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
S L HalliganDepartment of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/T002816/1
6 · The paper itself

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. HIGHLIGHTS: PTSD rates in the immediate aftermath of trauma exposure decline from 27% at 1 month to 18% at 3 months post-trauma, showing significant spontaneous recovery.Problems appear to stabilize after 3 months.Screening/intervention for PTSD at 3 months post-trauma is indicated.

Indexed as

Stress Disorders, Post-TraumaticAdultFemaleHumansPrevalenceadultslongitudinalmeta-analysisPost-traumatic stress disorderprevalencePTSD

Identifiers

PMID35646293
PMCPMC9132436

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.