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PTSD statistics¶
Last curated: 2026-10-23 (new rows below; earlier sweep rows retain †)
Rule. These are source-specific estimates, not interchangeable constants. Diagnostic system, denominator, population, trauma and time horizon travel with every number. No pooled anxiety-disorder effect is represented as PTSD.
Estimates added 2026-10-16¶
| Figure | Estimate | Population/year | Method and limits | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Probable PTSD by self-report instrument in the same sample | PCL-5 ≥31: 26.9%; DSM-5 symptom algorithm: 27.1%; ITQ ICD-11 algorithm: 21.9% | 483 Syrian refugees in Türkiye; October 2026 issue, first online July | Same-sample psychometric study; not clinician-confirmed prevalence or evidence that either system is more accurate | Alpay 2026, PMID 42438360, full-text Table 1 |
| MDMA-assisted therapy, primary-endpoint PTSD symptoms | Hedges’ g −0.71 (95% CI −0.95 to −0.47); 6 RCTs; n=242 at endpoint | Published trials; search through 2025-11-25; 2026 living-review release | Figure 1; 286 randomized in selected arms (Table 1), not the primary-analysis denominator; pooled MP4-containing secondary reports excluded (supplementary Table 10); all MAPS-model trials; low GRADE certainty | Sevchik 2026, PMID 42860436 |
| NHS mother-and-baby healthcare use costs, 6–12 months after birth | £473 without PTSD/anxiety/depression symptoms; £840 with probable PTSD due to any cause; £861 with probable childbirth-related PTSD | England/Scotland MAP ALLIANCE follow-up; 794 questionnaire respondents; 6-month groups: 55 probable PTSD, including 15 attributed to childbirth, versus 210 symptom-free comparators | Observational, questionnaire-based service use; costs for mother and baby combined; small childbirth-related subgroup; group costs are associations, not intervention savings | City St George’s / MAP ALLIANCE — "Counting the Cost of Birth Trauma: The Economic Impact of Postnatal PTSD in the UK", September 2026, https://www.mapstudy.org/_files/ugd/70a10c_9ba1976c09f14adfb93181562512bf0f.pdf, pp. 5–6, figure visually checked; accessed 2026-10-16 |
The birth-trauma briefing is a research/policy report, not a peer-reviewed trial or a national PTSD registry. Its separate June 2026 Birth Trauma Association survey supplied personal-experience material; it is not the denominator for the healthcare-cost comparison. The report's national savings projection is not retained here because no evaluated prevention effect establishes that those savings are achievable.
The VA National Center for PTSD epidemiology portal and PTSD Repository were also checked. The epidemiology portal displayed an August 2026 update and the Repository data release predates the requested window; neither is counted as a newly released registry statistic in this sweep (VA National Center for PTSD — "Epidemiology and Impact of PTSD", https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/essentials/epidemiology.asp; "PTSD Repository", https://www.ptsd.va.gov/ptsdrepository/index.asp; Data.gov — "Data File (2026_1): Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Treatments for PTSD", https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/data-file-2026_1-pharmacologic-and-nonpharmacologic-treatments-for-ptsd; accessed/search-result verified 2026-10-16).
Estimates added 2026-10-23¶
| Figure | Estimate | Population/year | Method and limits | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPTSD in forcibly displaced adults, descriptive pool | 20.9% (95% CI 12.6–32.6%); 95% prediction interval 1.7–80.3%; I² = 98.3% | 17 samples; n = 12,504; refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people; search through January 2026 | Full text checked. Authors retain the pool as a descriptive summary. Community samples averaged 10.6%; treatment-seeking samples 55.2%. Study range 3.0–74.6%. This does not replace the 1–8% general-population range | Melkam 2026, PMID 42900526 |
| ITQ with and without clinical checks | Standard ITQ: 19.2% PTSD or CPTSD (7.2% and 12.0%). With checks: 9.8% (3.9% and 5.9%). Relative reduction for either disorder 49.0% | Quota sample of 5,070 adults in Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia; recruited 7–28 July 2025; published 21 October 2026 | Full text, results section. Denominator is all participants, of whom 82.2% were trauma-exposed. Quota sample, not a national probability prevalence. Measurement finding, not a treatment-response result | Hyland 2026, PMID 42905693 |
| Military Health System evidence-based psychotherapy receipt | 51.3% initiated at least one session; 25.7% received three sessions in 90 days; 7.5% received eight sessions in 14 weeks | N = 3,459 patients with PTSD at eight US military treatment facilities, July 2018–December 2021 | PubMed abstract. Full text was not retrieved. Evidence-based psychotherapy means prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy or EMDR. Both session thresholds are the paper's "minimally adequate dosage" | McLean 2026, PMID 42906525 |
| Trauma-focused CBT and comorbid depression | Versus passive controls, Hedges' g = 0.97 (95% CI 0.80–1.14, k = 46). Versus active controls, g = 0.50 (95% CI 0.35–0.65, k = 29). Depression response odds ratio 3.07 (95% CI 1.18–7.94, k = 4) versus passive controls | 136 RCTs; N = 8,868 assessed for depression; PROSPERO CRD42023479224 | PubMed abstract only. Full text was not retrieved. First online 20 August 2025; October 2026 issue. Abstract says trauma-focused CBT had the highest certainty of results; no GRADE letter was read from a table | Hoppen 2026, PMID 40830864 |
| Benzodiazepine prescribing in Canadian OSI clinics | 22% of patients; OR 1.12 per additional year of PTSD (95% CI 1.06–1.18); monotherapy under 1% | 438 military personnel and veterans with primary PTSD; 13 psychiatrists; cross-sectional clinician report | Full text checked. Referral-enriched tertiary clinics. Prescribing prevalence, not a harm estimate | Collins 2026, PMID 42898444 |
| VA Delphi on simultaneous chronic-pain and PTSD care | 48 of 71 items reached the pre-set consensus | 23 experts from 13 VA facilities interviewed; 15 completed four rounds | PubMed abstract. Full text was not retrieved. Expert consensus, not an outcome trial and not a society guideline. Online 19 March 2026; October 2026 issue | Zaccari 2026, PMID 41851426 |
The VA epidemiology page was retrieved again on 2026-10-23 (HTTP 200). The extracted text was site navigation, so no new national burden figure was taken from it.
Diagnosis and measurement¶
| Figure | Estimate | Population/year | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCL-5 internal consistency | α=.94 | Trauma-exposed students; 2015 | Development study, n=278 | Blevins 2015, PMID 26606250 |
| PCL-5 test–retest | r=.82 | Trauma-exposed students | Psychometric study | PMID 26606250 |
| PCL-5 veteran internal consistency | α=.96 | VA samples, n=468 | Validation | Bovin 2016, PMID 26653052 |
| PCL-5 veteran test–retest | r=.84 | VA samples | Validation | PMID 26653052 |
| CAPS-5 inter-rater reliability | κ=.78–1.00 | Veterans, n=165 and 207 | Structured-interview validation | Weathers 2018, PMID 28493729 |
| ITQ development samples | n=1,051 / 247 | UK community / clinical | IRT and CFA | Cloitre 2018, PMID 30178492 |
Epidemiology and conditional risk¶
| Figure | Estimate | Population/year | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PTSD after trauma in youth | 15.9% (95% CI 11.5–21.5) | 43 samples; n=3,563 | Diagnostic-interview meta-analysis | Alisic 2014, PMID 24785767 |
| CPTSD population prevalence | 1–8% | Mixed populations through 2021 | Review range | Maercker 2022, PMID 35780794 |
| CPTSD prevalence in mental-health facilities | up to 50% | Referral-enriched settings | Review range | PMID 35780794 |
| US lifetime PTSD prevalence | 6.1–8.3% | United States; 2026 review | Review of population survey estimates | Flesaker 2026, PMID 42089634 |
| Global PTSD prevalence | 3.9% | Global; 2026 review | Review of population survey estimates | PMID 42089634 |
| Prenatal PTSD, community samples | 3.3% (95% CI 2.44–4.54) | 59 studies; N=24,267 | Diagnostic-measure meta-analysis | Yildiz 2017, PMID 27865585 |
| Postpartum PTSD, community samples | 4.0% (95% CI 2.77–5.71) | Same review | Meta-analysis | PMID 27865585 |
| Perinatal PTSD, high-risk groups | 18.95% pregnancy; 18.5% postpartum | Same review; referral-enriched | Meta-analysis | PMID 27865585 |
| Negative subjective birth experience → birth PTSD | r=0.59 | 50 studies; n=21,429 | Correlational meta-analysis | Ayers 2016, PMID 26878223 |
| † Probable PTSD among trauma-exposed adults, by trauma burden | 5.1% (95% CI 4.3–5.9) mild → 23.9% (95% CI 19.3–29.1) severe | 8 countries (Brazil, France, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Philippines, Turkey, USA); 2023–2024; n=5,525 | Population survey; PC-PTSD-5 screen, not diagnosis | Abdalla 2026, PMID 42731553 |
| † Probable PTSD by recent socioeconomic stressor burden | 0.6% (95% CI 0.3–1.0) none → 17.9% (95% CI 15.6–20.4) severe | Same survey | Same; each added stressor OR 1.41 among mild-trauma respondents, attenuated at higher trauma burden | PMID 42731553 |
| † Lifetime alcohol use disorder among adults with PTSD | 35.58% (95% CI 24.48–48.48%); I²=99.37% | 20 observational studies; n=185,432 | Multilevel meta-analysis; higher in clinical, inpatient and veteran samples | Pozzolo Pedro 2026, PMID 42745626 |
| † PTSD and first-ever stroke | HR 1.50 (95% CI 1.31–1.72) | 23 cohorts, 11,181,338 participants (all anxiety-related disorders pooled; PTSD stratum shown) | Meta-analysis of HRs; persisted after adjustment for CV risk factors and depression | Imtiaz 2026, PMID 42767516 |
Adult psychotherapy¶
| Figure | Estimate | Population/year | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult NMA evidence base | 90 trials; n=6,560; 22 interventions | Adults with PTSD | Network meta-analysis | Mavranezouli 2020, PMID 32063234 |
| EMDR vs waitlist | SMD −2.07 (95% CrI −2.70 to −1.44) | Adult PTSD | Network estimate | PMID 32063234 |
| TF-CBT vs waitlist | SMD −1.46 (−1.87 to −1.05) | Adult PTSD | Network estimate | PMID 32063234 |
| Supported self-help vs waitlist | SMD −1.46 (−2.33 to −.59) | Adult PTSD | Network estimate | PMID 32063234 |
| Manualized-treatment evidence base | 114 RCTs; n=8,171 | Adult PTSD | Systematic review | Lewis 2020, PMID 32284821 |
| Broad psychological review | 64 trials | Generally severe adult PTSD | Systematic review | Cusack 2016, PMID 26574151 |
| Loss-of-diagnosis NNT | <4 | Exposure, CPT, CT, mixed CBT, EMDR vs controls | Review estimate | PMID 26574151 |
| Exposure evidence base | 65 articles; n=4,929 | Adult PTSD | Meta-analysis | McLean 2022, PMID 34954460 |
| Exposure vs waitlist/TAU | large | Adult PTSD | Meta-analysis; exact effect varies | PMID 34954460 |
| Exposure vs non-TF active | small | Adult PTSD | Meta-analysis | PMID 34954460 |
| Exposure vs TF therapy/medication | negligible | Adult PTSD | Meta-analysis | PMID 34954460 |
| Adult NMA + pairwise evidence base | 157 RCTs; n=11,565 | Adult PTSD | Network and pairwise meta-analysis | Hoppen 2023, PMID 37141033 |
| TF-CBT vs non-TF, short term | g=0.17 (95% CI 0.03–0.31) | 190 comparisons | Network estimate | PMID 37141033 |
| TF-CBT vs non-TF, long term (>5 mo) | g=0.20 (95% CI 0.04–0.35) | 41 comparisons | Network estimate | PMID 37141033 |
| EMDR vs control | g=0.93 (95% CI 0.67–1.18); I²=72% | 76 trials; 4/27 at low risk of bias | Meta-analysis | Cuijpers 2020, PMID 32043428 |
| EMDR vs other therapies | g=0.36 (95% CI 0.14–0.57); null in low-risk-of-bias subset | Same review | Meta-analysis | PMID 32043428 |
| EMDR vs other therapies (IPD) | no significant difference (β=−0.24) | Individual participant data | IPD meta-analysis | Wright 2024, PMID 38173121 |
| Eye-movement additive effect, clinical | d=0.41 | 15 EMDR trials | Dismantling meta-analysis | Lee 2013, PMID 23266601 |
| Eye-movement additive effect, laboratory | d=0.74 | 11 non-therapy trials; n=849 total | Dismantling meta-analysis | PMID 23266601 |
| Massed vs spaced PE | noninferior (1-sided 95% CI upper bound 2.29) | 370 active-duty personnel | Noninferiority RCT | Foa 2018, PMID 29362795 |
| Massed vs standard PE | difference 0.94 (95% CI −4.19 to 6.07) | 138 military/veterans | Noninferiority RCT | Dell 2023, PMID 35440345 |
| Telehealth vs in-person CPT | noninferior; pooled −20.5 (95% CI −29.6 to −11.4) | 126 women | Noninferiority RCT | Morland 2015, PMID 26243685 |
| WET vs CPT | noninferior (max difference 3.96 points) | 169 active-duty service members | Noninferiority RCT | Sloan 2022, PMID 35015065 |
Dropout¶
| Figure | Estimate | Population/year | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CBT dropout | 29.0% | PTSD stratum only | Placebo-controlled cross-disorder meta-analysis | Carpenter 2018, PMID 29451967 |
| Placebo dropout | 17.2% | PTSD stratum only | Same PTSD stratum | PMID 29451967 |
| Routine-care dropout range cited | 38–51% | PTSD EBP routine care | Background to randomized analysis | Harper 2026, PMID 41926191 |
| CPT–PE dropout trial | n=916 | US veterans; 79.9% male | Randomized trial analysis | PMID 41926191 |
| PE dropout | 52.31% | Same trial | Randomized comparison | PMID 41926191 |
| CPT dropout | 45.77% | Same trial | Randomized comparison | PMID 41926191 |
| TF-CBT dropout, IPD | 27% overall | 25 pooled trials; n=823 | IPD meta-analysis | Wright 2024, PMID 39537555 |
| TF-CBT dropout, civilians vs military | 23% vs 42% (RR 2.37) | Same IPD pool | IPD meta-analysis | PMID 39537555 |
| TF-CBT vs non-TF acceptability | RR 1.36 (95% CI 1.08–1.70) | 22 comparisons | Pairwise meta-analysis | Hoppen 2023, PMID 37141033 |
| PE ≥2 sessions/week vs less often | 21.0% vs 34.0% dropout (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.30–0.89) | 35 RCTs; n=1,508 | Meta-analysis | Levinson 2022, PMID 35278229 |
| WET vs CPT session completion | 76.5% vs 54.8% | 169 active-duty service members | Noninferiority RCT | Sloan 2022, PMID 35015065 |
Sleep and prazosin — conflicting estimates retained¶
| Figure | Estimate | Population/year | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early prazosin crossover | n=10; mean 9.5 mg bedtime | Vietnam veterans | Double-blind crossover | Raskind 2003, PMID 12562588 |
| Parallel prazosin trial | n=40 | Veterans | Randomized placebo-controlled | Raskind 2007, PMID 17069768 |
| PACT re-test | n=304; 13 centres | Veterans with chronic PTSD/nightmares | 26-week RCT | Raskind 2018, PMID 29414272 |
| Nightmare-item difference, week 10 | 0.2 (95% CI −.3 to .8), p=.38 | PACT | Between groups | PMID 29414272 |
| PSQI difference, week 10 | 0.1 (−.9 to 1.1), p=.80 | PACT | Between groups | PMID 29414272 |
| CGIC difference, week 10 | 0 (−.3 to .3), p=.96 | PACT | Between groups | PMID 29414272 |
| Supine systolic BP difference | −6.7 mm Hg | PACT, week 10 | Change vs placebo | PMID 29414272 |
| New/worsening suicidal ideation | 8% vs 15% | Prazosin vs placebo | Adverse-event report | PMID 29414272 |
| Active-duty prazosin trial | n=67; positive on all three primary outcomes | Soldiers returned from Iraq/Afghanistan | 15-week RCT | Raskind 2013, PMID 23846759 |
| Prazosin, pooled vs control | g=0.61 nightmares; 0.81 PTSD symptoms; 0.85 sleep quality | 7 prazosin trials within N=1,078 | Meta-analysis | Yücel 2020, PMID 31855732 |
| IRT, pooled vs control | g=0.51 nightmares; 0.31 PTSD symptoms; 0.51 sleep quality | 8 IRT trials within N=1,078 | Meta-analysis | PMID 31855732 |
| Prazosin vs IRT | no significant difference on any outcome (all p>0.10) | Same meta-analysis | Indirect comparison | PMID 31855732 |
| Nightmare network meta-analysis | prazosin and IRT the only effective interventions | 29 RCTs; 14 interventions; n=2,214 | Network meta-analysis | Zhang 2022, PMID 35661755 |
| IRT anchoring RCT | nights with nightmares d=1.24; nightmares/week d=0.85 | 168 women; 114 completed follow-up | Waitlist RCT | Krakow 2001, PMID 11476655 |
| Baseline standing systolic BP | +14-point CAPS reduction per 10 mm Hg under prazosin (p=.002) | 32 prazosin, 35 placebo | Secondary analysis | Raskind 2016, PMID 27320368 |
| CBT-I before CPT | greater 6- and 20-week reductions in ISI, HAM-D and CAPS | n=110 interpersonal-violence survivors | Sequential RCT | Pigeon 2022, PMID 34265777 |
| CBT-I integrated with PE | no PTSD difference vs sleep hygiene + PE (P=.844) | n=94 veterans | RCT | Colvonen 2025, PMID 40488726 |
MDMA-assisted therapy¶
| Figure | Estimate | Population/year | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAPP1 | n=90 | Severe PTSD | Phase 3 RCT | Mitchell 2021, PMID 33972795 |
| MAPP1 CAPS-5 effect | d=.91; p<.0001 | Severe PTSD | MDMA-AT vs therapy+placebo | PMID 33972795 |
| MAPP1 CAPS-5 change | −24.4 vs −13.9 | Completers | Mean change | PMID 33972795 |
| MAPP1 disability effect | d=.43; p=.0116 | Severe PTSD | SDS | PMID 33972795 |
| MAPP2 | n=104 (53 vs 51) | Moderate–severe PTSD | Confirmatory phase 3 | Mitchell 2023, PMID 37709999 |
| MAPP2 CAPS-5 change | −23.7 vs −14.8 | MDMA-AT vs therapy+placebo | LS mean | PMID 37709999 |
| MAPP2 CAPS-5 effect | d=.70; p<.001 | Moderate–severe PTSD | Between-group | PMID 37709999 |
| MAPP2 disability effect | d=.40; p=.03 | Moderate–severe PTSD | SDS | PMID 37709999 |
| MAPP2 severe TEAEs | 5/53 vs 2/51 | MDMA-AT vs control | Arm-level count | PMID 37709999 |
| Regulatory outcome | FDA declined approval, August 2024; additional phase 3 required | USA, 2024 decision | Reviews, 2025 and 2026 | Wolfgang 2025, PMID 39741438; Morland 2026, PMID 41820235 |
| MDMA-AT pooled symptom effect | SMD −1.19 (95% CI −1.95 to −0.42); I²=68.8% | 8 RCTs; n=298 for this outcome | Meta-analysis | Fares-Otero 2026, PMID 41825162 |
| MDMA-AT pooled dissociation effect | SMD −0.37 (95% CI −0.70 to −0.04) | n=148, k=5 | Meta-analysis | PMID 41825162 |
| MDMA-AT pooled functioning effect | SMD −0.83 (95% CI −1.47 to −0.19) | n=227, k=4 | Meta-analysis | PMID 41825162 |
| † Retracted MDMA phase 2 secondary analyses | 3 (notices November 2024); 2 further expressions of concern (December 2024) | Sponsor-authored pooled analyses | Retraction notices; none is cited as evidence in this condition | Mithoefer 2024, PMID 39126501; PMIDs: 39126500, 39126502, 39627911, 39627875 |
Other pharmacological and drug-assisted evidence¶
| Figure | Estimate | Population/year | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSRI vs placebo, treatment response | RR 0.66 (95% CI 0.59–0.74); 58% vs 35% | 8 studies; n=1,078 | Cochrane meta-analysis; moderate certainty | Williams 2022, PMID 35234292; † identical in the May 2026 version, Williams 2026, PMID 42206608 (search date 13 November 2020) |
| Pharmacotherapy evidence base | 66 RCTs; n=7,442 | Adults with PTSD | Cochrane review | PMID 35234292 |
| Mirtazapine vs placebo | RR 0.45 (95% CI 0.22–0.94); 65% vs 22% | 1 study; n=26; low certainty | Cochrane meta-analysis | PMID 35234292 |
| Amitriptyline vs placebo | RR 0.60 (95% CI 0.38–0.96); 50% vs 17% | 1 study; n=40; low certainty | Cochrane meta-analysis | PMID 35234292 |
| Antipsychotics, number improved | RR 0.51 (95% CI 0.16–1.67) | 2 studies; n=43; very low certainty | Cochrane meta-analysis | PMID 35234292 |
| SSRI withdrawal for adverse events | RR 1.41 (95% CI 1.07–1.87); absolute 9% | 14 studies; n=2,399 | Cochrane meta-analysis | PMID 35234292 |
| PE vs sertraline vs combination | no difference in 24-week CAPS slope (P=.81) | 223 combat veterans | RCT | Rauch 2019, PMID 30516797 |
| Benzodiazepines | no evidence of efficacy for PTSD | 18 studies; n=5,236 | Systematic review/meta-analysis | Guina 2015, PMID 26164054 |
| Repeated ketamine vs midazolam | CAPS-5 −11.88 points (d=1.13, 95% CI 0.36–1.91); 67% vs 20% responders | n=30; chronic PTSD | RCT | Feder 2021, PMID 33397139 |
| Repeated ketamine, multi-site | no significant group-by-time effect on PCL-5 or CAPS-5 | n=158 veterans/service members | Multi-site RCT | Abdallah 2022, PMID 35046508 |
| TSND-201 (methylone) vs placebo | CAPS-5 LS mean difference 9.64 (90% CI −16.48 to −2.80); P=.01 | n=65; phase 2; no psychotherapy | RCT | Jones 2026, PMID 41706459 |
| Psilocybin, open-label phase 2 | CAPS-5 −29.9 (SD 14.06) week 4; −29.5 (SD 15.43) week 12 | n=22; no control arm | Non-randomized open-label trial | McGowan 2026, PMID 40883964 |
| Psilocybin, veteran open-label pilot | −27.5 points (95% CI 19.9–35.1); d=2.30 | n=12; treatment-resistant | Open-label pilot | Armstrong 2026, PMID 42533157 |
| Pediatric sertraline after burns | benefit on parent- but not child-reported symptoms | n=26 | RCT | Stoddard 2011, PMID 22040192 |
| † Ketamine vs midazolam before PE, CAPS-5 at week 22 | 18.8 (SD 13.8) vs 19.0 (SD 13.7); no analysis posted | n=73 randomized; 16 vs 13 assessed | Registry-posted RCT results; unpublished | NCT04560660 (ClinicalTrials.gov v2, retrieved 2026-10-09) |
| † rTMS vs sham, PTSD severity post-treatment | SMD −0.14 (95% CI −0.54 to 0.27) | 3 studies; n=99; 13 RCTs (n=577) in review | Cochrane meta-analysis; moderate certainty | Brown 2024, PMID 39092744 |
| † Hydrocortisone early prevention, PTSD at 3 months | RR 0.47 (95% CI 0.09–2.38); very low certainty | 3 studies; n=136; acute-symptom adults | Cochrane meta-analysis | Bertolini 2024, PMID 38767196 |
Pediatric treatment¶
| Figure | Estimate | Population/year | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pediatric evidence base | 70 RCTs; n=5,528 | ≤19, full/subthreshold PTSD | Network meta-analysis | Hoppen 2025, PMID 39630422 |
| Trials testing TF-CBT | 52/70 (74%) | Pediatric network | Evidence-volume share | PMID 39630422 |
| TF-CBT vs passive | g=1.06 (95% CI .86–1.26) | Pediatric PTSD | Network estimate | PMID 39630422 |
| EMDR vs passive | g=.86 (.54–1.18) | Pediatric PTSD | Network estimate | PMID 39630422 |
| Multidisciplinary vs passive | g=.88 (.53–1.23) | Pediatric PTSD | Network estimate | PMID 39630422 |
| Non-TF vs passive | g=.95 (.62–1.28) | Pediatric PTSD | Network estimate | PMID 39630422 |
| Parent-involved TF-CBT vs non-TF | g=.35 (.04–.66), p=.03 | Sensitivity analysis | Network contrast | PMID 39630422 |
Prevention¶
| Figure | Estimate | Population/year | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debriefing evidence base | 11 trials | Trauma ≤1 month | Cochrane review | Rose 2002, PMID 12076399 |
| Short-term PTSD risk | OR 1.22 (95% CI .60–2.46) | 3–5 months | Debriefing vs control | PMID 12076399 |
| One-year PTSD risk, one trial | OR 2.88 (1.11–7.53) | One year | Debriefing vs control | PMID 12076399 |
Known conflicts and caveats¶
- Prazosin’s two small positive veteran trials and the large 304-person null PACT trial conflict; no pooled average is substituted for the displayed estimates.
- DSM-5, ICD-11 PTSD and ICD-11 CPTSD select different populations; prevalence and treatment denominators must state the system.
- Waitlist-referenced psychotherapy effects are not active-comparator effects.
- Carpenter 2018 pools anxiety-related disorders; only its explicitly reported PTSD dropout stratum is used. Its overall CBT g=.56 is not a PTSD estimate.
- Pediatric network estimates include full and subthreshold PTSD and 74% of trials evaluated TF-CBT.
- MDMA phase 3 efficacy does not imply approval; the regulatory outcome is separately dated and sourced.
- Registration status is not an outcome and therefore is kept in the trials page, not converted into a treatment statistic.
- Prazosin conflicts at synthesis level as well as trial level. Two meta-analyses (Yücel 2020, PMID 31855732; Zhang 2022, PMID 35661755) identify prazosin as effective for trauma-related nightmares while the largest single trial (PMID 29414272) is null on all three primary outcomes. Both are displayed; neither is averaged into the other, and the difference in included trials and outcome definitions is the reason.
- Ketamine conflicts within PTSD-specific randomized evidence. A 30-person trial is strongly positive (PMID 33397139) and a 158-person multi-site trial is null (PMID 35046508). They differ in population (antidepressant-resistant veterans/service members in the null trial), dose schedule and comparator.
- Psilocybin figures are uncontrolled. The two published PTSD psilocybin studies (PMID 40883964; PMID 42533157) are single-arm; their within-group changes cannot be compared with between-group effects elsewhere in this sheet.
- Registry enrollment and published analysis samples differ. MAPP1 is registered with enrollment 100 (NCT03537014) and reports 90 randomized participants; MAPP2 is registered with 121 (NCT04077437) and reports 104. The published denominator is used for effect estimates.
- Trial-level and meta-analytic dropout figures are not interchangeable. The 52.31%/45.77% PE–CPT figures come from one veteran trial with a protocol-specific dropout definition; the 27% IPD figure pools trials whose definitions vary.
- † Hydrocortisone prevention conflicts across syntheses. Astill Wright 2019 (PMID 31819037) reports RR 0.21 (95% CI 0.05–0.89; 3 studies, n=88; severely medically ill samples). Cochrane 2024 (PMID 38767196) reports RR 0.47 (95% CI 0.09–2.38; 3 studies, n=136; acute-symptom adults in trauma centres/EDs; very low certainty). Inclusion criteria differ; the included-trial lists could not be compared because the Cochrane full text is unreachable.
- † Screening prevalence is not diagnostic prevalence. The eight-country figures (PMID 42731553) use the PC-PTSD-5 screen among trauma-exposed respondents only and should not be set beside the interview-based lifetime estimates above.