Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in General Population During COVID-19 Pandemic: An Umbrella Review and Meta-Analysis

During the COVID-19 pandemic, global populations have experienced quarantine and lockdown restrictions, adversely affecting individuals' psychological well-being. This comprehensive review aims to estimate the prevalence of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) within the general population amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing the PRISMA guideline, the databases PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, Web of Science, Cochrane and Google Scholar were used in the data extraction process, and publications from December 2019 to 30th November 2022 were searched. A meta-analysis using the random effects model and an evaluation of heterogeneity using the I2 index was performed. The initial search yielded 264 studies, from which 11 were selected for this comprehensive review after eliminating duplicates and assessing study quality. The findings revealed an overall prevalence of PTSD among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic at 19.34% (95% CI: 16.29-22.38%; I2 = 40.44%; <0.1). Subgroup analysis based on region and scale did not reveal significant differences between groups. Future research should focus on conducting additional studies to examine the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health status of the general population worldwide.