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Gender differences among veterans deployed in support of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Street, AE; Gradus, JL; Giasson, HL; Vogt, D; Resick, PA
Published in: J Gen Intern Med
July 2013

BACKGROUND: The changing scope of women's roles in combat operations has led to growing interest in women's deployment experiences and post-deployment adjustment. OBJECTIVES: To quantify the gender-specific frequency of deployment stressors, including sexual and non-sexual harassment, lack of social support and combat exposure. To quantify gender-specific post-deployment mental health conditions and associations between deployment stressors and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to inform the care of Veterans returning from the current conflicts. DESIGN: National mail survey of OEF/OIF Veterans randomly sampled within gender, with women oversampled. SETTING: The community. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 1,207 female and 1,137 male Veterans from a roster of all Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) Veterans. Response rate was 48.6 %. MAIN MEASURES: Deployment stressors (including combat and harassment stress), PTSD, depression, anxiety and alcohol use, all measured via self-report. KEY RESULTS: Women were more likely to report sexual harassment (OR = 8.7, 95% CI: 6.9, 11) but less likely to report combat (OR = 0.62, 95 % CI: 0.50, 0.76). Women and men were equally likely to report symptoms consistent with probable PTSD (OR = 0.87, 95 % CI: 0.70, 1.1) and symptomatic anxiety (OR = 1.1, 9 5% CI: 0.86, 1.3). Women were more likely to report probable depression (OR = 1.3, 95 % CI: 1.1, 1.6) and less likely to report problematic alcohol use (OR = 0.59, 9 5% CI: 0.47, 0.72). With a five-point change in harassment stress, adjusted odds ratios for PTSD were 1.36 (95 % CI: 1.23, 1.52) for women and 1.38 (95 % CI: 1.19, 1.61) for men. The analogous associations between combat stress and PTSD were 1.31 (95 % CI: 1.24, 1.39) and 1.31 (95 % CI: 1.26, 1.36), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although there are important gender differences in deployment stressors-including women's increased risk of interpersonal stressors-and post-deployment adjustment, there are also significant similarities. The post-deployment adjustment of our nation's growing population of female Veterans seems comparable to that of our nation's male Veterans.

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Published In

J Gen Intern Med

DOI

EISSN

1525-1497

Publication Date

July 2013

Volume

28 Suppl 2

Issue

Suppl 2

Start / End Page

S556 / S562

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Veterans
  • United States
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Military Personnel
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Iraq War, 2003-2011
  • Iraq
  • Humans
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Street, A. E., Gradus, J. L., Giasson, H. L., Vogt, D., & Resick, P. A. (2013). Gender differences among veterans deployed in support of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. J Gen Intern Med, 28 Suppl 2(Suppl 2), S556–S562. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-013-2333-4
Street, Amy E., Jaimie L. Gradus, Hannah L. Giasson, Dawne Vogt, and Patricia A. Resick. “Gender differences among veterans deployed in support of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.J Gen Intern Med 28 Suppl 2, no. Suppl 2 (July 2013): S556–62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-013-2333-4.
Street AE, Gradus JL, Giasson HL, Vogt D, Resick PA. Gender differences among veterans deployed in support of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. J Gen Intern Med. 2013 Jul;28 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S556–62.
Street, Amy E., et al. “Gender differences among veterans deployed in support of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.J Gen Intern Med, vol. 28 Suppl 2, no. Suppl 2, July 2013, pp. S556–62. Pubmed, doi:10.1007/s11606-013-2333-4.
Street AE, Gradus JL, Giasson HL, Vogt D, Resick PA. Gender differences among veterans deployed in support of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. J Gen Intern Med. 2013 Jul;28 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S556–S562.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Gen Intern Med

DOI

EISSN

1525-1497

Publication Date

July 2013

Volume

28 Suppl 2

Issue

Suppl 2

Start / End Page

S556 / S562

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Veterans
  • United States
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Military Personnel
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Iraq War, 2003-2011
  • Iraq
  • Humans