Updated three-level meta-analysis
A new meta-analysis was recently published, conducted by Ilse Visser, PhD candidate at Amsterdam UMC and Levvel, in collaboration with the research team and under the guidance of Prof. dr. Ramón Lindauer. The analysis includes data from more than 19,000 children and adolescents from 64 studies, collected over a period of 30 years. The results show that 20% of adolescents develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a major event, based on DSM-IV criteria. Girls and adolescents who have experienced interpersonal violence are at significantly higher risk. Based on DSM-5 criteria, the estimated prevalence is 12%, but due to the limited number of studies using these criteria, more robust estimates are needed in the future. These findings underscore the importance of early identification and trauma-sensitive diagnostics within youth psychiatry to recognize symptoms at an early stage and provide appropriate support.
Visser I., van der Mheen M., Dorsman H., et al. Post-traumatic stress disorder rates in trauma-exposed children and adolescents: updated three-level meta-analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry. Published online 2025:1-9. doi:10.1192/bjp.2025.30