Sex differences in the trauma-related symptoms: A pilot study
Introduction: During the year 2014, a part of the population from Serbia was exposed to floods. After natural disasters and other types of extreme trauma, some people will be more affected by trauma than others. How women and men differ, in the symptoms that can manifest after the exposure to extrem...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Belgrade, Medical Faculty
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Medicinski Podmladak |
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| Online Access: | http://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0369-1527/2016/0369-15271603068J.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818520024795578368 |
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| author | Jerotić Stefan |
| author_facet | Jerotić Stefan |
| author_sort | Jerotić Stefan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: During the year 2014, a part of the population from Serbia was exposed to floods. After natural disasters and other types of extreme trauma, some people will be more affected by trauma than others. How women and men differ, in the symptoms that can manifest after the exposure to extreme trauma, is still an open question. Aim: To evaluate if there are differences in the severity of trauma-related symptom clusters between the sexes (re-experiencing, avoidance, negative cognitions and mood, and arousal; according to DSM V) and in experiencing negative emotional states (depression, anxiety, stress). Material and methods: Forty healthy volunteers from Obrenovac (25 women and 15 men) were administered with three instruments: The Life Events Checklist - LEC-5, PTSD checklist for DSM V - PCL-5 and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale - DASS. Results: The majority of subjects reported floods as the major lifetime trauma (72.5%). Despite the relatively low level of the post-traumatic symptom intensity (5.02 ±4.99), women exhibited significantly higher total post-traumatic symptom severity scores in comparison to men (p<0.01) and higher severity of trauma re-experiencing symptoms (p<0.01). Sex differences were neither observed in other trauma-related symptoms clusters, nor in the severity of current depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. Conclusion: In the non-clinical sample, with only a sub-threshold level of post-traumatic symptoms, the most prominent difference between sexes was found in relation to re-experiencing and this finding is consistent with the results obtained from clinical samples. Future studies are needed, in order to examine whether trauma-focused treatments can be gender-tailored and to which extent they might prevent the full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T01:31:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-777966694aca4a7186656496470a67d9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0369-1527 2466-5525 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T01:31:53Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | University of Belgrade, Medical Faculty |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Medicinski Podmladak |
| spelling | doaj.art-777966694aca4a7186656496470a67d92022-12-22T01:25:20ZengUniversity of Belgrade, Medical FacultyMedicinski Podmladak0369-15272466-55252016-01-01673687310.5937/mp67-126610369-15271603068JSex differences in the trauma-related symptoms: A pilot studyJerotić Stefan0University of Belgrade, Faculty of Medicine, Belgrade, SerbiaIntroduction: During the year 2014, a part of the population from Serbia was exposed to floods. After natural disasters and other types of extreme trauma, some people will be more affected by trauma than others. How women and men differ, in the symptoms that can manifest after the exposure to extreme trauma, is still an open question. Aim: To evaluate if there are differences in the severity of trauma-related symptom clusters between the sexes (re-experiencing, avoidance, negative cognitions and mood, and arousal; according to DSM V) and in experiencing negative emotional states (depression, anxiety, stress). Material and methods: Forty healthy volunteers from Obrenovac (25 women and 15 men) were administered with three instruments: The Life Events Checklist - LEC-5, PTSD checklist for DSM V - PCL-5 and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale - DASS. Results: The majority of subjects reported floods as the major lifetime trauma (72.5%). Despite the relatively low level of the post-traumatic symptom intensity (5.02 ±4.99), women exhibited significantly higher total post-traumatic symptom severity scores in comparison to men (p<0.01) and higher severity of trauma re-experiencing symptoms (p<0.01). Sex differences were neither observed in other trauma-related symptoms clusters, nor in the severity of current depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. Conclusion: In the non-clinical sample, with only a sub-threshold level of post-traumatic symptoms, the most prominent difference between sexes was found in relation to re-experiencing and this finding is consistent with the results obtained from clinical samples. Future studies are needed, in order to examine whether trauma-focused treatments can be gender-tailored and to which extent they might prevent the full-blown post-traumatic stress disorder.http://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0369-1527/2016/0369-15271603068J.pdfposttraumatic stress disordertraumasex differencesdepressionfloods |
| spellingShingle | Jerotić Stefan Sex differences in the trauma-related symptoms: A pilot study Medicinski Podmladak posttraumatic stress disorder trauma sex differences depression floods |
| title | Sex differences in the trauma-related symptoms: A pilot study |
| title_full | Sex differences in the trauma-related symptoms: A pilot study |
| title_fullStr | Sex differences in the trauma-related symptoms: A pilot study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sex differences in the trauma-related symptoms: A pilot study |
| title_short | Sex differences in the trauma-related symptoms: A pilot study |
| title_sort | sex differences in the trauma related symptoms a pilot study |
| topic | posttraumatic stress disorder trauma sex differences depression floods |
| url | http://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0369-1527/2016/0369-15271603068J.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jeroticstefan sexdifferencesinthetraumarelatedsymptomsapilotstudy |