Prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder of COVID-۱۹ among high-risk groups: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) includes spontaneous recall of traumatic events, attempts to avoid situations, activities, and events that are reminiscent of the event, and excessive psychological irritability that may occur after experiencing horrific or lifethreatening events such as war, natural disasters and epidemics. Evidence shows that high-risk groups such as age over ۶۰ years, obesity, smoking, pregnancy, HIV and rheumatic, hormonal, cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal diseases, and various cancers are more prone to complications of Covid-۱۹ and therefore more likely to develop PTSD. The aim of this study was to present a global picture of the prevalence of PTSD caused by Covid-۱۹ among highrisk groups with severe complications of this disease.Search method: This study was conducted using the PRISMA guideline and on cross sectional studies published between March ۱۱, ۲۰۲۰ and October ۱۱, ۲۰۲۱ in English that reported the prevalence of PTSD among high-risk groups during Covid-۱۹ pandemic. The search was performed with appropriate keywords in seven databases. Finally, ۱۴ studies were analyzed and combined and the results were presented in the form of forest plot. To investigate the heterogeneity of the studies, the I۲ index was used to analyze the sub-groups, χ۲ test was used at a significance level of P <۰.۰۵, and finally sensitivity analysis was performed. For data analysis, R ۳.۵.۱ with Meta package was used for metaanalysis.Results: The pooled estimate prevalence of PTSD among high-risk groups during Covid-۱۹ pandemic was %۳۰ (%۹۵ CI: ۲۱-۳۹). The cumulative mean scores of PTSD subscales were in descending order: avoidance (۸.۴۹±۵), Intrusion (۶.۵±۴.۹) and Hyper-arousal (۴.۷±۴.۲). The pooled estimate prevalence of PTSD was significantly different according to the variables of data collection season, gender and data collection at the time of lowdown (P <۰.۰۵). Sensitivity analysis of the study did not change the pooled estimate prevalence of PTSD after excluding studies related to cancer patients. The quality of ۲۰% of the records was good, ۵۳% was moderate and the rest was weak.Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the pooled estimate prevalence of PTSD in high-risk groups was three percent lower than the pooled estimate prevalence reported in the general population exposed to Covid-۱۹. It seems that prolonged involvement and persistent psychological consequences of cancer and chronic diseases and the uncertain prognosis of treatment of some patients have caused some degrees of PTSD in people with the disease, which has led to relative indifference to Covid-۱۹ and its consequences.

Keywords:

Prevalence , Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder , High-Risk Groups , Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis