Post-traumatic stress disorder in trafficking in persons survivors: A systematic review

Author

Gavin C. Newberry, University of Alabama at BirminghamFollow

Volume

30

Number

1

Department

Dept. of Psychology

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Date

2024

Abstract

This systematic review examines post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence in adult and child trafficking in persons (TIP) survivors through analysis of 17 studies, including cross-sectional, cohort, and retrospective studies, from PubMed and PTSDpubs. 4,738 participants yielded an overall median PTSD prevalence of 32.63% (IQR = 20.78–54.42). Age stratification revealed median prevalences of 26.45% in children and 31.87% in adult survivors. Sex stratification indicated 22.68% in males and 38.07% in females, aligning with documented sex differences in PTSD prevalence. Further stratification by trafficking type showed 41.60% in commercial sexual exploitation and 30.67% in labor exploitation survivors. Limitations include methodological heterogeneity and sample size constraints. Future research should address diverse gender identities, trauma history, diagnostic consistency, cultural influences, and sex-specific susceptibility to PTSD in TIP survivors. This review contributes to understanding the mental health needs of TIP survivors, highlighting the urgency for further research and targeted interventions.

Keyword

trafficking in persons; TIP; post-traumatic stress disorder; PTSD; systematic review

Discipline

Psychology

Document Type

article

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Recommended Citation

Newberry, Gavin C. (2024) "Post-traumatic stress disorder in trafficking in persons survivors: A systematic review," Modern Psychological Studies: Vol. 30: No. 1, Article 14.
Available at: https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol30/iss1/14