title: Gender differences in the expression of PTSD symptoms among active duty military personnel.
abstract: This study examined gender differences in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and symptom factors in the total U.S. active duty force. Data were drawn from the 2008 Department of Defense Survey of Health Related Behaviors among Active Duty Military Personnel including 17,939 men and 6751 women from all services. The results indicated that women expressed more distress than men across almost all the symptoms on the PTSD Checklist except for hypervigilance. Women also scored significantly higher on all four factors examined: Re-experiencing, Avoidance, Emotionally Numb, Hyperarousal. More women than men were distressed by combat experiences that involved some type of violence, such as being wounded, witnessing or engaging in acts of cruelty, engaging in hand-to-hand combat, and, to a lesser extent, handling dead bodies. Men who had been sexually abused had a greater number of symptoms and were consistently more distressed than women on individual symptoms and symptom factors.
authors.affiliation: RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Drive, Durham, NC 27719, United States. Electronic address: hourani@rti.org.
authors.forename: Laurel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hourani
authors.affiliation: RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Drive, Durham, NC 27719, United States.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Drive, Durham, NC 27719, United States.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bray
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, and New York State Psychiatric Institute, NY, United States.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kandel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Combat; Gender differences; Military; PTSD; Sexual abuse