Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Homicidally Bereaved Individuals: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Meta-Analysis

Homicidal bereavement combines the loss of a close person with exposure to intentional interpersonal violence, yet its posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) burden has not been quantitatively synthesized. This systematic review identified 35 reports, of which nine independent, non-treatment-selected samples (N = 1,389) contributed to a Bayesian random-effects meta-analysis. Categorical and continuous PTSD outcomes were harmonized using a latent-threshold framework. The pooled latent-z estimate was -0.50 (95% credible interval [-1.08, 0.09]), corresponding to a threshold-equivalent PTSD prevalence of 30.9% (95% CrI [14.1%, 53.6%]), with substantial between-study heterogeneity (τ = 0.82, 95% CrI [0.52, 1.42]). Sensitivity and leave-one-out analyses generally supported the primary findings, although uncertainty remained substantial in the risk-of-bias sensitivity analysis. These results suggest clinically consequential PTSD burden among homicidally bereaved individuals and support considering trauma-related psychopathology, alongside grief, when evaluating the psychological consequences of homicide.