Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that can develop following exposure to traumatic events, including armed conflict, natural disasters, violence, accidents, and abuse. The World Federation for Mental Health regards PTSD as one of the most significant unmet needs in global mental health care, particularly in populations affected by humanitarian crises where the trauma burden is greatest and service capacity is most limited.
According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, PTSD affected approximately 20 million people worldwide, with substantially higher rates documented in conflict-affected regions. Epidemiological data from Kessler et al., published in the Archives of General Psychiatry (2005), found a lifetime PTSD prevalence of approximately 6.8% in the United States general population, with higher rates among combat veterans and survivors of sexual violence.
The World Federation for Mental Health supports the broader implementation of trauma-informed care frameworks, which recognize the pervasive impact of trauma on health, behaviour, and wellbeing. These frameworks call for services to be structured around safety, trustworthiness, peer support, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural sensitivity — principles that apply across all levels of the health system.
Evidence-based treatments for PTSD — including trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) — have demonstrated strong efficacy in randomised controlled trials, as reviewed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, 2018). WFMH advocates for training primary care providers in the recognition and initial management of trauma-related disorders to improve early access to appropriate support.
In humanitarian settings, where mental health resources are scarce and trauma is widespread, the gap between need and available care is most acute. The World Federation for Mental Health partners with humanitarian organizations to support the adaptation and delivery of scalable psychological interventions in low-resource environments — a commitment that reflects the WFMH mandate to advance mental health for all people, everywhere.