Prevalence and psychosocial factors of PTSD among disaster-affected populations in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a widespread condition affecting individuals globally in the aftermath of disasters. For this review, the disaster-affected population refers to individuals or populations who have experienced a potentially traumatic event with psychosocial consequences. The current review aims to assess the prevalence and psychosocial factors of PTSD among disaster-affected populations in India.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in the present study. Relevant keywords were identified and used to search databases, including Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane, as well as websites and reference lists, to identify eligible studies. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow chart was used for the final included studies to reveal the results. The current review conducted a critical appraisal of the included studies by using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) quality evaluation. Meta-analysis using Jeffreys's Amazing Statistics Program (JASP) software and manual analysis was done to assess the psychosocial factors and conceptual framework.

RESULTS

A total of 1370 documents were identified from the databases, and 151 documents were duplicates. Following title/abstract screening, 1178 studies were excluded, 21 full text not retrieved, and 20 studies were included for the final results. The critical appraisal results found that more than half of the studies demonstrated good methodological quality. The results revealed that the pooled prevalence of PTSD was 38%, with young populations disproportionately affected, although no significant associations were found with age group, disaster type, or region. Nineteen psychosocial risk factors were identified, prominently including loss of family members or pets and property damage. The conceptual framework highlights the interplay between traumatic events and psychosocial factors in PTSD outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The findings underscore the need for multidisciplinary collaboration among mental health professionals, long-term intervention strategies, and evidence-based practices to address India's mental health challenges.