Publication year
2011
Citation Title
Gender differences in combat-related stressors and their association with postdeployment mental health in a nationally representative sample of U.S. OEF/OIF veterans.
Journal Name
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
Journal Volume
120
Issue Number
4
Page Numbers
797-806
DOI
10.1037/a0023452
Summary
Researchers evaluated gender differences in a variety of combat-related stress dimensions and associated consequences for postdeployment mental health in a representative sample of female and male U.S. Veterans who had returned from deployment to Afghanistan or Iraq within the previous year. Results suggest that female OEF/OIF Service members may be as resilient to combat-related stress as men.
Key Findings
Scores on substance abuse were the only gender difference that emerged in self-reports of postdeployment mental health with men scoring significantly higher than women.
Men reported more exposure to combat, more aftermath of battle (exposure to the consequences of combat operations), and more difficult living and working environments during deployment than women, but the differences were fairly modest.
With respect to additional stressors, women reported significantly more exposure to prior life stressors and deployment sexual harassment than men, though these differences were modest.
Associations between combat-related stressors and postdeployment mental health were not statistically different for 15/16 comparisons; men with exposure to the aftermath of battle were more likely to have a substance abuse problem.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer support groups for male and female Service members returning from combat
Disseminate information regarding gender differences in mental health symptomology following deployment to help Service members and families cope with these issues
Offer workshops for Service members regarding substance abuse issues that may arise following deployment
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue to support reintegration workshops to help Service members and families adjust post-deployment
Support programs that help Service members and their families cope with substance abuse issues, particularly following deployment
Recommend additional training for providers working with Service members with regard to gender differences related to a broad range of combat-related stressors in both assessment and treatment
Methods
Self-report surveys were used to obtain the data from OEF/OIF military personnel who had returned from deployment within the past year (between October 1, 2007 and July 31, 2008), the sample was drawn from the Defense Manpower Data Center roster.
Potential participants were recruited via prenotification letters.
Measures of combat experiences, aftermath of battle, perceived threat, living and working environment, prior stress exposure, deployment sexual harassment, posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression and substance abuse and mental health functioning were collected.
Participants
Participants were 592 OEF/OIF Service members; 57% female and 43% male.
Fifty percent of participants were Active Duty Service members, 25% were National Guard, and 25% were Reserve Forces; military branch data were not provided.
No information on the race/ethnicity, age or other demographic characteristics of the sample were presented.
Limitations
Data were collected cross-sectionally (at one time point) which raises concerns about retrospective recall and limits our ability to make directional claims about the nature of these relationships.
Only self-report data were collected and men may underreport mental health symptoms compared to women.
The article didn't include much of the participants demographic information, thus it is difficult to know what populations these results may apply.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine possible gender differences in the long-term effects of combat exposure utilizing a longitudinal study design
Replicate findings measuring a wide range of combat-related stressors and with a more representative sample
Explore the unique military experiences of female Service members could aid in developing more appropriate treatments that incorporate components related to external stressor and sexual harassment
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Though the broader literature suggests that women may be more vulnerable to the effects of trauma exposure, most available studies on combat trauma have relied on samples in which women's combat exposure is limited and analyses that do not directly address gender differences in associations between combat exposure and postdeployment mental health. Female service members' increased exposure to combat in Afghanistan and Iraq provides a unique opportunity to evaluate gender differences in different dimensions of combat-related stress and associated consequence for postdeployment mental health. The current study addressed these research questions in a representative sample of female and male U.S. veterans who had returned from deployment to Afghanistan or Iraq within the previous year. As expected, women reported slightly less exposure than men to most combat-related stressors, but higher exposure to other stressors (i.e., prior life stress, deployment sexual harassment). No gender differences were observed in reports of perceived threat in the war zone. Though it was hypothesized that combat-related stressors would demonstrate stronger negative associations with postdeployment mental health for women, only one of 16 stressor x gender interactions achieved statistical significance and an evaluation of the clinical significance of these interactions revealed that effects were trivial. Results suggest that female Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom service members may be as resilient to combat-related stress as men. Future research is needed to evaluate gender differences in the longer-term effects of combat exposure.
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