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Stressing Gender Differences

A new study suggests that women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Even though men are more likely to experience a traumatic event, women are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a report in the Psychological Bulletin.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder caused by a traumatic event, such as a sexual assault, an accident, a combat experience, or witnessing or being a victim of other violent events. Symptoms of the disorder include reliving the experience in your mind over and over again, feeling numb emotionally, having difficulty with personal relationships and sleep difficulties, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

For the study, the investigators reviewed 25 years of studies done on PTSD to see if there were any significant gender differences. This included 290 studies done between 1980 and 2005. During that time period, the researchers found that women had a twofold higher risk of being diagnosed with PTSD compared to men.

The researchers wondered if that was because women experienced more traumatic events than men did. So, they went back to the previous studies and re-examined them to see which gender experienced the most traumatic events. This analysis found that men had a 23 percent higher chance of having been involved in a traumatizing event than women.

This finding caused the researchers to wonder whether women experience certain traumatic events more than men did, and the answer was yes, according to the authors. Women and girls were much more likely to be sexually assaulted, raped or sexually abused during childhood. On the other hand, men and boys were much more likely to be involved in serious accidents, to be physically assaulted or to see other people injured or killed.

However, it did not appear that the type of traumatic event is what causes the higher rates of PTSD in women. In looking at men and women who have experienced the same kind of traumatic events, the investigators still saw a higher rate in women than in men. However, that wasn’t true for sexual abuse or assault. PTSD seems to develop equally after those experiences.

Understanding the differences
Diane Reibel, PhD, Director of the Stress Reduction Program at the Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine, wasn’t surprised by the results of this latest study.

“There is plenty of evidence that men and women do experience stress differently, and that includes PTSD,” she says. “Although no one has any definitive explanations why, I believe the reasons are multi-faceted. There are likely significant behavioral, biological and cultural factors at play.”

Dr. Reibel says cultural factors may include women’s greater willingness to be open about their feelings and to seek help from others. And, as she notes, “How many men are taught to talk to their friends or that it is OK to cry when they’re hurt?”

She adds that other recent research has suggested biological differences between the genders – that male and female brains are simply wired to respond differently to stress.

“Broadly speaking, the female response to stress can be to ‘tend and befriend,’ while the male’s response can be ‘fight or flight,’” Dr. Reibel explains.

The good news, says Dr. Reibel, is that whether you’re male or female, you can get help in dealing with stress – from more severe cases of PTSD to the day-to-day stressors that affect almost everyone.

Seeking help
“If you believe you’re experiencing PTSD, please talk to your doctor right away,” Dr. Reibel says. “PTSD has an impact on your mind and your body, and it’s important to seek comprehensive treatment for it.” She notes that learning stress management skills are typically one part of the treatment for PTSD. Learning stress management skills can benefit others dealing with day-to day stresses as well.

“Jefferson’s Center for Integrative Medicine offers a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program that teaches specific techniques for coping with stress,” Reibel explains, adding that readers can start using at least two of these simple techniques right away:

• Take relaxing sighs. “In your stressful moments, the simplest and most powerful thing you can do is to take relaxing sighs or deep, cleansing breaths,” Dr. Reibel says. To do so, simply breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth with a gentle sigh. She recommends repeating that process three to six times. “This technique works physiologically,” she says. “If you choose to deepen and lengthen breath, this can calm the mind and body.”

• Pause and check in with yourself. From time to time, just stop, Dr. Reibel says: “Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, just pause. Check in to your mind and body and feel what’s there,” she suggests. “If your body is tense – and you notice that your shoulders are up to your ears and your hands and jaw are clenched – send a signal from your mind to your body to lower your shoulders, relax your hands and release your jaw.” Dr. Reibel says that ideally, we would all pause and “check in” with ourselves often throughout the day.

For more information about Jefferson’s Stress Reduction Program, visit www.jeffersonhospital.org/cim or call 1-800-JEFF-NOW.