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Annals of General Psychiatry
Published in: Annals of General Psychiatry 1/2012

Open Access 01-12-2012 | Primary research

Gender, trauma type, and PTSD prevalence: a re-analysis of 18 nordic convenience samples

Authors: Daniel N Ditlevsen, Ask Elklit

Published in: Annals of General Psychiatry | Issue 1/2012

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Abstract

Background

The aim of the study was to examine a possible trauma type related variance in the gender difference of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence.

Methods

An analysis was conducted on 18 convenience sample studies including data from a total of 5220 participants. The studies all applied the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire – part IV to assess PTSD. Cohen’s d was used to measure variance in gender differences. Trauma types included disasters and accidents, violence, loss, chronic disease and non-malignant diseases.

Results

The results showed an overall gender difference in PTSD prevalence similar to previous findings. Thus, women had a two-fold higher prevalence of PTSD than men. Besides categorical analyses, dimensional analyses of PTSD severity were also performed; the latter were associated with twice as large effect sizes. Females were more vulnerable to PTSD after disasters and accidents, followed by loss and non-malignant diseases. In violence and chronic disease, the gender differences were smallest.

Conclusions

The findings support the existence of a trauma type related variance in gender differences in PTSD prevalence.
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Metadata
Title
Gender, trauma type, and PTSD prevalence: a re-analysis of 18 nordic convenience samples
Authors
Daniel N Ditlevsen
Ask Elklit
Publication date
01-12-2012
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Annals of General Psychiatry / Issue 1/2012
Electronic ISSN: 1744-859X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-859X-11-26

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