PTSD statistics¶
Last curated: 2026-09-02 (independent audit pass, same date)
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.
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 |
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 |
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 |
| 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 |
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.