SynthesisTranslational psychiatry2026
Prospective biomarkers of posttraumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Translational psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Comparing the molecular correlates of PTSD in first responders and the broader molecular PTSD literature: a hybrid review.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Post-trauma mental health in children and adolescents: phenomenology, aetiology and treatment.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Trauma exposure in children and young people (CYP) can lead to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Identification of biomarkers prospectively associated with PTSD can provide critical insight into the mechanisms underpinning this disorder and potentially aid in identifying CYP vulnerable to persistent symptoms. A systematic search of databases was conducted up until February 2024 to identify studies testing associations of prospective biomarkers with PTSD outcomes in CYP. A narrative synthesis of study characteristics, quality, and findings was conducted. Meta-analysis using a random-effects model was performed when two or more comparable studies were identified. Searches yielded 2039 articles, with 283 identified as relevant after title/abstract screening. Twenty-one studies met eligibility criteria in the following biological domains: hormonal, immunological, cardiovascular, and multisystem. The majority of studies focussed on naturalistic recovery of CYP exposed to acute trauma. Significant heterogeneity was observed, including in trauma type, selection, and biomarker measurement. Across biomarkers, relatively consistent evidence was observed for a prospective association between elevated heart rate post-trauma and increased risk of PTSD persistence only, with limited evidence in other domains. Our review highlights a limited evidence base for prospective biomarkers of the development of PTSD in CYP, with methodological issues limiting inferences that can be drawn. A notable lack of evidence from low-and-middle income countries, despite chronic and severe trauma being endemic in these settings, was identified. Further research using standardised protocols from large, representative samples will be critical in the identification of biomarkers of PTSD risk and resilience.
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.