Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA.
J Psychiatr Res. 2014 Feb;49:1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2013.09.016. Epub 2013 Oct 5.
Although women in the military are exposed to combat and its aftermath, little is known about whether combat as well as pre-deployment risk/protective factors differentially predict post-deployment PTSD symptoms among women compared to men. The current study assesses the influence of combat-related stressors and pre-deployment risk/protective factors on women's risk of developing PTSD symptoms following deployment relative to men's risk.
Participants were 801 US National Guard Soldiers (712 men, 89 women) deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan who completed measures of potential risk/protective factors and PTSD symptoms one month before deployment (Time 1) and measures of deployment-related stressors and PTSD symptoms about 2-3 months after returning from deployment (Time 2).
Men reported greater exposure to combat situations than women, while women reported greater sexual stressors during deployment than men. Exposure to the aftermath of combat (e.g., witnessing injured/dying people) did not differ by gender. At Time 2, women reported more severe PTSD symptoms and higher rates of probable PTSD than did men. Gender remained a predictor of higher PTSD symptoms after accounting for pre-deployment symptoms, prior interpersonal victimization, and combat related stressors. Gender moderated the association between several risk factors (combat-related stressors, prior interpersonal victimization, lack of unit support and pre-deployment concerns about life/family disruptions) and post-deployment PTSD symptoms.
Elevated PTSD symptoms among female service members were not explained simply by gender differences in pre-deployment or deployment-related risk factors. Combat related stressors, prior interpersonal victimization, and pre-deployment concerns about life and family disruptions during deployment were differentially associated with greater post-deployment PTSD symptoms for women than men.
尽管军中女性会接触到战斗及其后果，但对于战斗以及部署前的风险/保护因素是否会对女性与男性的部署后 PTSD 症状产生不同影响，目前人们知之甚少。本研究评估了与战斗相关的应激源和部署前的风险/保护因素对女性相对于男性在部署后出现 PTSD 症状的风险的影响。
参与者为 801 名美国国民警卫队士兵（712 名男性，89 名女性），他们被部署到伊拉克或阿富汗，在部署前一个月（时间 1）完成了潜在风险/保护因素和 PTSD 症状的测量，在从部署返回后大约 2-3 个月（时间 2）完成了与部署相关的应激源和 PTSD 症状的测量。
男性报告的战斗情况暴露程度大于女性，而女性报告的部署期间性应激源大于男性。暴露于战斗后果（例如，目睹受伤/死亡的人）在性别上没有差异。在时间 2，女性报告的 PTSD 症状更严重，患有 PTSD 的可能性更高。在考虑到部署前症状、先前人际受害和与战斗相关的应激源后，性别仍然是 PTSD 症状更高的预测因素。性别调节了一些风险因素（与战斗相关的应激源、先前人际受害、缺乏单位支持以及部署前对生活/家庭中断的担忧）与部署后 PTSD 症状之间的关联。
女性服务成员中 PTSD 症状的升高不能简单地用部署前或与部署相关的风险因素中的性别差异来解释。与战斗相关的应激源、先前人际受害以及部署前对生活和家庭中断的担忧与女性比男性更大的 PTSD 症状的相关性更大。
