Gender differences in probable posttraumatic stress disorder among police responders to the 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attack.
BACKGROUND
Police responders to the 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) disaster were previously reported to have an increased prevalence of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).


METHODS
Four thousand seventeen police responders (3,435 men and 582 women) were interviewed 2-3 years after 9/11/01 as part of the World Trade Center Health Registry. Demographic, occupational, and event-specific risk factors were evaluated for probable PTSD, determined by DSM-IV criteria using the Posttraumatic Stress Checklist (PCL).


RESULTS
Overall prevalence of probable PTSD was 8.3% (women: 13.9%; men: 7.4%, P < 0.001). Risk factors for both genders included 9/11-related injury and older age. For men, specific risk factors were: presence in WTC Towers on 9/11 and Hispanic ethnicity; and for women, witnessing horror and education less than a college degree.


CONCLUSIONS
Significantly higher prevalence of probable PTSD was found for female police responders. Although consistent with civilian populations, this finding contrasts with other studies of PTSD and WTC rescue and recovery workers, and police prior to 9/11.
Bowler
Rosemarie M
RM
Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, USA.
Han
Hui
H
Gocheva
Vihra
V
Nakagawa
Sanae
S
Alper
Howard
H
DiGrande
Laura
L
Cone
James E
JE
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D057189:Checklist; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016495:Police / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011594:Psychometrics; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D047851:September 11 Terrorist Attacks / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult