COVID-19-related posttraumatic stress disorder in adults with lived experience of psychiatric disorder

Background Prevalence estimates of COVID-19-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have ranged from 1% to over 60% in the general population. Individuals with lived experience of a psychiatric disorder may be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19-related PTSD but this has received inadequate attention. Methods Participants were 1571 adults with lived experience of psychiatric disorder who took part in a longitudinal study of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. PTSD was assessed by the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) anchored to the participant's most troubling COVID-19-related experiencevent. Factors hypothesised to be associated with traumatic stress symptoms were investigated by linear regression. Results 40.10% of participants perceived some aspect of the pandemic as traumatic. 5.28% reported an ICD-11 PTSD qualifying COVID-19 related traumatic exposure and 0.83% met criteria for probable ICD-11 COVID-19-related PTSD. Traumatic stress symptoms were associated with younger age, lower income, lower social support, and financial worries, and lived experience of PTSD/complex PTSD. Depression and anxiety measured in June 2020 predicted traumatic stress symptoms at follow-up approximately 20 weeks later in November 2020. Conclusions We did not find evidence of widespread COVID-19-related PTSD among individuals with lived experience of a psychiatric disorder. There is a need for future research to derive valid prevalence estimates of COVID-19-related PTSD.

Automated summary

The prevalence of COVID-19-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals with lived experience of a psychiatric disorder is uncertain. This study investigated the association between traumatic stress symptoms and various factors in a sample of 1571 adults with lived experience of psychiatric disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that younger age, lower income, lower social support, financial worries, and previous experience of PTSD/complex PTSD were associated with traumatic stress symptoms. Depression and anxiety measured in June 2020 predicted traumatic stress symptoms at a follow-up 20 weeks later in November 2020. There is a need for further research to establish valid prevalence estimates of COVID-19-related PTSD.