Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Positive PTSD Screening among Adults with Cancer in Iraq: A Cross-Sectional Study
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Objective: This study assessed post-traumatic stress symptom burden and positive PTSD screening among adults with cancer in Al-Diwaniyah, Iraq, and examined differences across sociodemographic and cancer-stage categories.
Methods and Materials: A descriptive cross-sectional study recruited 236 adults with confirmed cancer diagnoses through purposive sampling at Al-Diwaniya Teaching Hospital, Iraq, between December 2025 and January 2026. PTSD symptoms were assessed through structured interviews using an Arabic version of the 20-item PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Scores ≥33 indicated positive screening. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney U tests, and Kruskal–Wallis tests.
Findings: The mean PCL-5 score was 33.14 ± 13.12, and 60.6% of participants screened positive for probable PTSD. Based on study-defined descriptive score bands, 67 participants (28.4%) scored 0–26, 157 (66.5%) scored 27–53, and 12 (5.1%) scored 54–80. Symptom endorsement was reported for intrusion (89.4%), avoidance (75.0%), negative alterations in cognition and mood (80.5%), and alterations in arousal and reactivity (81.4%). No significant differences in PCL-5 scores were detected by sex (p = .894), age (p = .625), marital status (p = .964), parental status (p = .161), education (p = .423), or cancer stage (p = .301).
Conclusion: Substantial post-traumatic stress symptom burden was observed among adults receiving cancer care. Positive screening warrants further clinical evaluation but does not establish a PTSD diagnosis.
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