The Prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) in Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Following Road Traffic Accident: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of PTSD in individuals who suffer traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord injury (SCI) following road traffic accidents (RTAs) has not been comprehensively reviewed.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted in Cochrane, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, ProQuest, PsycARTICLES, and PsycINFO, and the meta-analyses were performed by the comprehensive meta-analysis (CMA). JBI checklists were utilized for critical appraisal.

RESULTS

The pooled prevalence of PTSD in TBI and SCI survivors of RTAs was 29.4% (95% CI: 22.7% - 37.3%). The rate of PTSD in adults was 29.3% (95% CI: 23.8% - 35.5%), and it was 30.9% (95% CI: 4.4% - 81.3%) in the children subgroup. Coping styles, previous employment, acute stress disorder, and reduced awareness are some of the reported risk factors. Future longitudinal studies should further investigate the prevalence and predictors of PTSD in RTAs to identify early diagnosis and prevention strategies.