The contribution of gender-based violence and network trauma to gender differences in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Abstract

BackgroundPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs twice as commonly amongst women as men. Two common domains of trauma, network trauma and gender based violence (GBV), may contribute to this gender difference in PTSD rates. We examined data from a nationally representative sample of the Australian population to clarify the characteristics of these two trauma domains in their contributions to PTSD rates in men and women.MethodsWe drew on data from the 2007 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-being to assess gender differences across a comprehensive range of trauma domains, including (1) prevalence of lifetime exposure; (2) identification of an index trauma or DSM-IV Criterion A event; and (3) the likelihood of developing full DSM-IV PTSD symptoms once an index trauma was identified.ResultsMen reported more traumatic events (TEs) overall but women reported twice the prevalence of lifetime PTSD (women, 13.4%; men, 6.3%). Women reported a threefold higher level of exposure to GBV and were seven times more likely to nominate GBV as the index trauma as compared to men. Women were twice more likely than men to identify a network trauma as the index trauma and more likely to meet full PTSD symptoms in relation to that event (women, 20.6%; men, 14.6%).ConclusionWomen are more likely to identify GBV and network trauma as an index trauma. Women’s far greater exposure to GBV contributes to their higher prevalence of PTSD. Women are markedly more likely to develop PTSD when network trauma is identified as the index trauma. Preventing exposure to GBV and providing timely interventions for acute psychological reactions following network trauma may assist in reducing PTSD rates amongst women.

Developing a measure of adaptive stress arising from the psychosocial disruptions experienced by refugees based on a sample of displaced persons from West Papua

“…In the West Papuan context, human rights organizations have highlighted the adverse impact on the culture when bodies of the disappeared cannot be recovered (Budiardjo & Liem, ; Human Rights Watch, ). For a traditional and religious society in which family and kinship ties are of paramount importance, it is not surprising that obstacles to conducting culturally appropriate mourning and remembrance ceremonies represent an enduring source of stress, an observation that is consistent with findings of several other studies in the refugee mental health field (Morina, Rudari, Bleichhardt, & Prigerson, ; Silove, Baker, et al, ; Tay, Rees, Lidell, et al, ).…”

Recognizing complex trauma in child welfare‐affected mothers of colour

“…This a priori theme demonstrated mothers' trauma exposure within their closest interpersonal relationships (Gavranidou & Rosner, ; Silove et al, ). Family members, or individuals allowed into their homes by a trusted caregiver, were often the perpetrators.…”

“…Other challenges, including difficulty caring for one's health, acquiring and sustaining viable employment, and engaging in high risk-taking behaviours, escalate as exposure to PTEs increases in frequency, chronicity, and severity without appropriate intervention (Cloitre et al, 2009). Women experience fewer PTEs than men, but report significantly higher rates of exposure to gender-based interpersonal PTEs typical of CT (Gavranidou & Rosner, 2003;Silove et al, 2017), and are diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) more often than men (Roth, Newman, Pelcovitz, Van Der Kolk, & Mandel, 1997). Van der Kolk, Roth, Pelcovitz, Sunday, and Spinazzola (2005) recognized that the PTSD diagnosis did not adequately represent the features of CT.…”

The “Managed” or Damaged Heart? Emotional Labor, Gender, and Posttraumatic Stressors Predict Workplace Event-Related Acute Changes in Cortisol, Oxytocin, and Heart Rate Variability

“…For instance, although men report higher rates of exposure to traumatic events, women develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at significantly higher rates (Dückers and Olff, 2017). Evidence suggests that these gender disparities in the development of PTSD can be explained by qualitative differences in the nature of traumatic exposures (Silove et al, 2017), including within occupations such as policing (Gehrke and Violanti, 2006). Exposure to potentially traumatic events in the workplace is, thus, one domain where these differences play out.…”