Citation

Beck JG, Palyo SA, Canna MA, Blanchard EB, Gudmundsdottir B. J. Behav. Ther. Exp. Psychiatry 2006; 37(3): 256-266.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, Edward Blanchard and Mark Canna, Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders, Park Hall, Buffalo 14260-4110, USA. jgbeck@buffalo.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jbtep.2005.04.001

PMID

16546118

PMCID

PMC1524873

Abstract

To investigate potential sex differences in factors that are associated with chronic PTSD, data from 223 participants were examined using logistic regression analyses. Each participant had been involved in a serious motor vehicle accident (MVA), which had occurred at least 6 months earlier (range 6mos-37 years). Although men and women did not differ in the rate of diagnosed PTSD, four variables were found to interact significantly with sex in the prediction of chronic PTSD: peritraumatic experiences of helplessness, danger, and the certainty that one would die during the MVA and lack of employment. Follow up analyses indicated that although the peritraumatic experience variables were statistically significant, no notable differences emerged in the odds ratios of men and of women. In contrast, men who were unemployed were 9.94 times more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD, relative to men who were employed, while unemployed women were 2.85 times more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD, relative to women who were employed. Results are discussed in light of the role of functional limitations and their impact on the maintenance of PTSD in men and women.

Language: en