OBJECTIVES: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder, arises from exposure to traumatic events, and affects well-being. Sertraline and paroxetine are FDA-approved agents for PTSD, while the APA suggests fluoxetine and venlafaxine as supplementary treatment options. This systematic literature review (SLR) aims to evaluate the impact of these treatments on quality of life (QoL) in PTSD patients.

METHODS: Embase^® and Medline^® were searched from database inception to December 2023 to identify English language articles assessing the impact of interventions of interest on QoL in PTSD patients.

RESULTS: Of the total 421 publications screened, four studies (sample size: 16 -329; mean age: 36.4 - 41.3 years; 2 Global and 2 USA) from six publications met the inclusion criteria. Two studies assessed fluoxetine while sertraline and venlafaxine were each assessed in one study each. 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36; n=3) was the most commonly assessed Qol scale, followed by Quality-of-Life Enjoyment and Life Satisfaction Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF; n=2) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF; n =1). In two studies comparing fluoxetine to a placebo, mental health significantly improved on SF-36 scale (Study 1; Median CFB: 44 vs -20; Study 2; 15.5 vs 0.33). The minimal improvements in physical functioning were seen in one study (8.62 vs 8.07), while the other showed a decline in physical functioning across both groups (-5 vs -5). Sertraline exhibited significant improvement in mental health (14.5 vs 3.5) and overall QoL (Q-LES-Q-SF: 12 vs 5.2) as compared to placebo. Venlafaxine demonstrated a significant improvement in QoL compared to placebo, across Q-LES-Q-SF (13.2 vs 9.2) and GAF (21.3 vs 17.3) scales.

CONCLUSIONS: This SLR highlights the compelling impact of FDA-approved or APA-recommended treatments, particularly fluoxetine, venlafaxine ER, and sertraline on enhancing the QoL of PTSD patients.