Prevalence of ICD-11 post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD in the general populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The ICD-11 has revised the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and introduced complex PTSD (CPTSD) as a new diagnosis. This study presents the first systematic review and meta-analysis of ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD prevalence in general population samples. In this pre-registered review (CRD42024579951), we searched the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases to identify potentially relevant articles. Meta-analyses were conducted among (1) samples from non-war exposed/economically developed countries/regions and (2) samples from war-exposed/less economically developed countries/regions. Out of 835 unique records, 10 eligible studies examining ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD in representative adult general population samples were included. Most studies were assessed as having a “low risk” of bias across all quality domains. The studies were conducted in Ukraine (3), Germany (2), Republic of Ireland (2), Hong Kong, Israel, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana. All studies used the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) to assess ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD. In the five samples from non-war-exposed/economicallydeveloped countries/regions, the pooled prevalence rates for PTSD and CPTSD were 2 % and 4 %, respectively, based on a total of 7718 participants. In the five samples from war-exposed/less economically developed countries/regions, the pooled prevalence rates for PTSD and CPTSD were 16 % and 15 %, respectively, based on a total of 9870 participants. Given the high prevalence of PTSD and CPTSD, especially in war-exposed/less economically developed countries, there is a pressing need for more effective and scalable interventions to support affected populations. Pooled prevalence rates should be cautiously interpreted due to a limited number of studies.