Citation

Stretch RH, Knudson KH, Durand D. Mil. Med. 1998; 163(7): 466-470.

Affiliation

Department of Military Psychiatry, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington, DC 20307-5100, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Association of Military Surgeons of the United States)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9695612

Abstract

We surveyed more than 1,000 female and male active duty soldiers to assess the effect of premilitary and military trauma on their psychological well-being. Questionnaire data were obtained on pertinent demographic information, history of trauma exposure, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The results indicated significant gender differences in the types of traumatic events experienced, with females reporting more sexual traumas and males reporting more nonsexual traumas. In addition, males reported experiencing more military-related traumas, whereas females reported experiencing more premilitary traumas. The prevalence of PTSD symptoms was 8.6% for females and 5% for males. Recommendations are presented that may help mitigate development of PTSD symptoms in the future.

Language: en