Post-traumatic stress disorder in Chile: A study of hospital burden in times of change (2020-2023)

Introduction: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by symptoms such as re-experiencing the traumatic event, physiological hyperarousal, avoidance and cognitive impairments. Due to its high prevalence, it is proposed to determine the hospital discharge rate (HDR) due to PTSD in the period 2020-2023 in Chile. Materials and methods: Descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study. A descriptive analysis of HDR due to PTSD in patients over 5 years of age in Chile during the period 2020-2023, according to the variables of sex, age and hospital stay. The data were obtained from the Department of Statistics and Health Information and the National Institute of Statistics, and were processed using Microsoft Office Excel. No evaluation by an ethics committee was required. Results: 1,701 records were analyzed, determining a HDR of 2.59 cases per 100,000 inhabitants during the period 2020-2023, where a constant increase in rates is observed throughout the period. There is a predominance in the female sex and patients between 15 and 19 years of age. An average hospital stay of 16.45 days was calculated, with longer stays in men. Discussion: The increase in rates could be explained by post-pandemic effects associated with the low availability of psychiatric services during the pandemic. The female predominance would be associated with factors such as gender violence, while in adolescents it would be related to their psychological vulnerability. Differences in hospital stay according to sex could be related to the severity of symptoms and access to support networks. Conclusion: This study highlights the need to strengthen PTSD prevention and treatment strategies, especially in women and adolescents, and to reduce barriers to access specialized care in underrepresented populations.