title: Trauma Exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the Canadian Military.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the lifetime prevalence of trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among a representative, active military sample, and to identify demographic and military variables that modulate rates of trauma exposure as well as PTSD rates and duration.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional weighted sample of 5155 regular members and 3957 reservists (n = 8441) of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) was face-to-face interviewed using a lay-administered structured interview that generates Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, psychiatric diagnoses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within this sample, 85.6% reported 1 or more trauma exposure, with a median number of 3 or more exposures. Compared with males, females were less likely (P < 0.05) to be exposed to warlike trauma (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.40), disasters (AOR 0.43), assaultive violence (AOR 0.52), and witnessing trauma (AOR 0.75). However, they were more likely to report sexual assault (AOR 7.36). The lifetime prevalence of PTSD was 6.6% and the conditional rate was 7.7%. Both lifetime and conditional PTSD rates were higher among female soldiers, but lower among the reserve forces, both male and female. Finally, the median duration of PTSD was negatively influenced by younger age of onset, but not influenced by whether the event occurred during deployment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Active members of the CAF report a high degree of trauma exposure but a moderate rate of lifetime PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Director, Society and Mental Health Program, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec; Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brunet
authors.affiliation: Postdoctoral Trainee, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Monson
authors.affiliation: Statistician, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec.
authors.forename: Aihua
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Defence Scientist, Defence Research and Development Canada, Toronto, Ontario.
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fikretoglu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004190:Disasters / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D000067073:Psychological Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014857:Warfare; D055815:Young Adult