Prevalence of acute stress disorder among road traffic accident survivors: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Road traffic accident (RTA), an unexpected traumatic event, may not only lead to death and serious physical injuries, but also could put survivors at an increased risk for a wide range of psychiatric disorders, particularly acute stress disorder (ASD). Early assessment of trauma-related psychological responses is important because acute trauma responses in the early post-traumatic period are among the robust predictors of long-term mental health problems. However, estimates of the prevalence of ASD among RTA survivors varied considerably across studies. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to identify the pooled prevalence of ASD among RTA survivors. METHODS: A systematic literature search in the databases of PubMed, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Embase and Web of Science was performed from their inception dates to December 2017. Subject headings were used to identify relevant articles, and the search strategy was adjusted across databases. Heterogeneity across studies was evaluated by Cochran’s χ(2) test and quantified by the I(2) statistic. Subgroup analyses were performed to identify the pooled prevalence in relation to the country of study, instrument used to identify ASD, age, gender and traumatic brain injury. When significant heterogeneity was observed, the influence of some potential moderators was explored using meta-regression analyses. RESULTS: Thirteen eligible studies conducted in 8 countries were included. A total of 2989 RTA survivors were assessed, of which 287 were identified with ASD. The overall heterogeneity was high across studies (I(2)=96.8%, P < 0.001), and the pooled prevalence of ASD among RTA survivors was 15.81% (95% confidence interval: 8.27–25.14%). Subgroup analyses indicated that the prevalence of ASD among RTA survivors differed significantly with regard to the country of study, instrument used to identify ASD, age and gender (P < 0.05). Meta-regression analyses showed that mean age of participants and quality assessment score were significant moderators for heterogeneity (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nearly one-sixth of RTA survivors suffer from ASD, indicating the need for regular assessment of early trauma responses among RTA survivors, as well as the importance of implementing early psychological interventions. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12888-018-1769-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.