Psychiatric comorbidities in older adults with posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review

BackgroundPsychiatric comorbidity is high in adults with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with up to 90% having at least one additional condition, and two-thirds having two or more other diagnoses. With an increasing aging population in industrialized counties, knowing which psychiatric disorders frequently co-occur in older adults with PTSD can have implications to improve diagnosis and treatment. This systematic literature review explores the current empirical literature on psychiatric comorbidity in older adults with PTSD. MethodLiterature databases PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were searched. The following inclusion criteria were applied: research done since 2013, PTSD diagnosis based on diagnostic criteria according to Diagnostic and Statistics Manual-Fifth Edition, International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision (ICD-10), or ICD-11, and studies include individuals aged 60 years or older. ResultsOf 2068 potentially relevant papers identified, 246 articles were examined based on titles and abstracts. Five papers met the inclusion criteria and were included. Major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder were the most frequently studied and diagnosed psychiatric comorbidities in older adults with PTSD. Conclusions and implicationsScreening for depression and substance use in older adults should include an assessment of trauma and PTSD. Additional studies in the general older adult population with PTSD and a broader range of comorbid psychiatric disorders are needed.

Automated summary

This systematic literature review examines the psychiatric comorbidities in older adults with PTSD. The study found that major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder are the most frequently diagnosed comorbidities in this population.