Abstract / Summary
Abstract Background Iran is highly vulnerable to natural and human-made disasters, including earthquakes, floods, and war-related events. Such community-wide disasters may lead to considerable psychological consequences, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of trauma- and stressor-related disorders following community-wide disasters in Iran. Methods This study followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO. PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, and PsycINFO were searched for eligible studies published before January 2026. Studies were included if they assessed trauma- and stressor-related disorders among populations exposed to community-wide disasters in Iran. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed and subgroup analyses were conducted by time since exposure, disaster type, and age group where possible. Results Seventeen studies including 9,066 participants met the inclusion criteria. All included studies reported PTSD; no eligible study reported other trauma- and stressor-related disorders. The pooled prevalence of PTSD was 35.7% (95% CI: 28.2%–44.0%). PTSD prevalence was higher in short-term studies than in long-term studies (44.0% vs. 27.6%). By disaster type, the pooled prevalence was 44.7% following earthquakes, 30.7% following floods, and 24.2% following war-related exposures. Considerable heterogeneity was observed across analyses. Meta-regression did not identify time since exposure or disaster type as statistically significant moderators. Conclusion PTSD is common following community-wide disasters in Iran, particularly during the first year after exposure and after earthquakes. These findings support the integration of early screening, referral pathways, community-based mental-health services, and long-term psychological follow-up into disaster preparedness and recovery programs in Iran. Future research should use longitudinal designs and assess trauma- and stressor-related disorders beyond PTSD.