Table 5 Predictive factors

An et al. (2022) [33]

Compared with the recovery trajectory: Female gender, Grade 9 in school (vs. 7 or 8), academic burnout, subjective fear, property loss, post-traumatic growth

Compared with the delayed trajectory: Female gender, Grade 9 in school (vs. 7 or 8), academic burnout, subjective fear, property loss, lower post-traumatic growth

Andersen et al. (2014) [34]

N/A – all ‘fluctuating’ trajectories were combined into one for analysis of predictors

Ansell et al. (2011) [35]

Age; gender; Axis I disorder; major depressive disorder; schizotypal personality disorder; avoidant personality disorder; (no baseline

diagnosis of) obsessive-compulsive personality disorder; borderline personality disorder

Armenta et al. (2019) [36]

Compared with rapid recovery group: Age, gender, race, marital status, education, service branch, service component, pay grade, combat deployment, childhood physical abuse, childhood sexual abuse, childhood verbal abuse, childhood neglect, sexual assault, physical assault, disabling injury/illness, other life events, obesity, smoking status, alcohol problems, sleep duration, social support, other anxiety syndrome, bodily pain, somatic symptoms

Benítez et al. (2012) [37]

N/A – only predictors of recovery are explored

Berntsen et al. (2012) [38]

N/A – the three groups who experienced ‘benefits’ of deployment in terms of reduction of PTSD symptoms were grouped together in regression analysis

Boe et al. (2010) [15]

Number of intrusion symptoms 5.5 months after the disaster, number of avoidance symptoms 5.5 months after the disaster, number of intrusion symptoms 14 months after the disaster, number of avoidance symptoms 14 months after the disaster, number of intrusion symptoms 5 years after the disaster, number of avoidance symptoms 5 years after the disaster

When each residual symptom was considered separately, effect sizes were found for sleeping difficulties due to images or thoughts, bad dreams about the event, staying away from reminders, trying not think about the event (at 14 months) and waves of strong feelings, things that made them think of the event, thinking about the event when they didn’t mean to, images popping into their mind, sleeping difficulties due to images or thoughts, being aware of feelings but not dealing with them (at 5 years)

Chopra et al. (2014) [39]

‘Recurrent’ groups were too small to feature in analysis of associated factors

Davidson et al. (2005) [40]

Treatment group (placebo vs. fluoxetine)

DenVelde et al. (1996) [41]

N/A

Fan et al. (2015) [42]

Compared to the recovery group, relapsing participants experienced fewer negative life events at 6-months post-earthquake but more such events at 24 months, received less social support at 24 months

No significant differences in gender, school grade, number of children in family, having a family member injured/killed/missing, house damage, property loss, directly witnessing the disaster, social support at 6 months, positive coping at 6 months, negative coping at 6 months

Gonçalves et al. (2011) [43]

N/A – intermittent and persistent cases combined

Gross et al. (2022) [44]

Although race was significantly associated with treatment response (with Black veterans experiencing an attenuated response over the course of the PTSD programme) and Black veterans had significantly greater PTSD symptoms at discharge, there were no significant differences between Black and White participants in terms of symptom recurrence

Hansen et al. (2017) [45]

N/A

Hepp et al. (2008) [46]

N/A

Holliday et al. (2020) [47]

Veterans who experienced military sexual trauma had ‘modestly greater recurrence of symptoms’ but this does not appear to be significant

Karstoft et al. (2015) [48]

Poor adjustment to civilian life (i.e. difficulties with community reintegration after deployment) was significantly higher for the relieved-worsening group than for all other groups

Liang et al. (2019) [49]

Liang et al. (2021) [50]

Greater trauma severity; School 2 rather than School 1; gender; school grade; pre-quake trauma

Madsen et al. (2014) [51]

Suicidal ideation was significantly higher in the relieved-worsening group than the low-stable group; the relieved-worsening group had the highest rate of suicidal ideation (66.7%)

Markowitz et al. (2018) [52]

N/A

Martenyi et al. (2002) [53]

Discontinuation of fluoxetine (fluoxetine group were significantly less likely to relapse than placebo group, especially for those with combat-related PTSD)

Murphy & Smith (2018) [54]

Response-remit group vs. resistant group: baseline depression; baseline anxiety; magnitude of reexperiencing symptoms; magnitude of avoidance symptoms; magnitude of hyperarousal symptoms; combat exposure

Osenbach et al. (2014) [55]

Recurrent life stressors increased the odds of membership in chronic, relapsing-remitting or recovery group trajectories vs. resilient;

Intervention (vs. usual care) associated with membership in relapsing-remitting or chronic trajectory vs. resilient;

Relapsing-remitting not associated with race; psychiatric history; depressive symptoms

Osofsky et al. (2017) [56]

Compared to the stable-low group: higher stress relating to the oil spill; higher number of traumas; physical abuse; emotional abuse; domestic violence; meeting the cut-off for PTSD

Perconte et al. (1991) [57]

Vs. improved group: Age; combat exposure; months spent in Vietnam; previous hospitalisations; weeks enrolled in treatment; pre-treatment Psychiatric Scale ratings; family support; higher weekly alcohol intake both before and at termination of treatment; number of treatment sessions attended; higher somaticism, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety and psychoticism

Sakuma et al. (2020) [58]

Doing mainly disaster-related work; lack of communication; lack of rest; displacement; dead or missing family members; near-death experience; pre-disaster treatment for physical illness; pre-disaster treatment for mental illness

Solomon & Mikulincer (2006) [59]

Combat stress reaction – odds of combat stress reaction casualties to relapse are significantly higher than those of veterans without antecedent combat stress reaction

Solomon et al. (1987) [60]

N/A

Solomon et al. (2018) [61]

N/A

Solomon et al. (2021) [62]

N/A

Sørensen et al. (2016) [63]

Vs. the low stable group, the relieved-worsening group had significantly lower cognitive ability scores

Sungur & Kaya (2001) [64]

N/A

Zanarini et al. (2011) [65]

Baseline predictors of time-to-recurrence among patients with borderline personality disorder: presence of history of childhood sexual abuse, severity of childhood sexual abuse, adult rape history at baseline, combination of a history of childhood sexual abuse and adult rape history, sexual assault during 10 years of prospective follow-up

Zlotnick et al. (1999) [66]

N/A