Gender and Post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that is related to serious traumatic events and is characterized by such symptoms as survivor guilt, reliving the trauma in dreams, numbness, and absence of involvement with reality, or recurrent thoughts and images. Research shows that reliable and modest gender differences exist in the growth of PTSD (Vishnevsky 110). Researchers also found that the risk of PTSD could vary in women because of type of trauma and prior history of trauma. However, the risk for PTSD in men is not much affected by the type of trauma and history of trauma. Moreover, assaultive violence event can result in higher risk for PTSD in women as compared to men (Breslau, and Anthony 610).
Behaviorally, women have elevated sense of threat as well as lower self-efficacy and their tendency to use less efficient coping strategies as compared to men are considered as important factors behind gender differences in developing PTSD (Solomon, Gelkopf, and Bleich 947). Although, males have more chances of experiencing accidents, combat, nonsexual assault, or serious illness, females have more chances of experiencing child sexual abuse and sexual assault that are probably more important contributors in the development of PTSD (Tolin, and Foa 977). Psychobiologically, younger age at the time of exposure to trauma and trauma-related memories are stronger predictors of developing PTSD in females (Olff 183). One the other hand, physiologically, one of the reasons behind the gender differences of getting PTSD and its severity include the decreased level of (glucocorticoids) cortisol in the adrenal cortex. It has an important role in metabolic, immune-related, and neurone-related functions. However, researchers are of opinion that further studies are required to find the relationship of PTSD with cortisol level (Meewisse 387).
The issue of gender differences in experiencing the trauma and the development of PTSD is a complicated as well as sensitive one. This review shows that males and females may experience different types of potentially traumatic events. However, the effect of PTSD on different genders requires more research.
Works Cited
Breslau, N., and J. C. Anthony. "Gender Differences in the Sensitivity to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: An Epidemiological Study of Urban Young Adults." J Abnorm Psychol 116.3 (2007): 607-11. Print.
Meewisse, M. L., et al. "Cortisol and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Br J Psychiatry 191 (2007): 387-92. Print.
Olff, Miranda, et al. "Gender Differences in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder." Psychological Bulletin 133.2 (2007): 183-204. Print.
Solomon, Z., M. Gelkopf, and A. Bleich. "Is Terror Gender-Blind? Gender Differences in Reaction to Terror Events." Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 40.12 (2005): 947-54. Print.
Tolin, David F., and Edna B. Foa. "Sex Differences in Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Quantitative Review of 25 Years of Research." Psychological Bulletin 132.6 (2006): 959-92. Print.
Vishnevsky, Tanya, et al. "Gender Differences in Self‐Reported Posttraumatic Growth: A Meta‐Analysis." Psychology of women quarterly 34.1 (2010): 110-20. Print.
