Examining the factor structure of PTSD between male and female veterans in primary care
Research SummaryAPA Citation:
Hall, B. J., Elhai, J. D., Grubaugh, A., Tuerk, P., & Magruder, K. (2012). Examining the factor structure of PTSD between male and female veterans in primary care. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 26(3), 409-415. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2011.12.015
Abstract Created by REACH:
Researchers assessed possible gender differences between two prevailing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) models – the emotional numbing (e.g., re-experiencing, avoidance, emotional numbing and arousal) and dysphoria (e.g., re-experiencing, avoidance, dysphoria and arousal) models – in order to establish whether one model is more generalizable with regard to both genders in a sample of trauma-exposed (any lifetime trauma) U.S. Veterans. Results suggest that the “emotional numbing” model may be best for cross-gender comparisons of PTSD.
Focus:
Mental health
Trauma
Veterans
Branch of Service:
Multiple branches
Subject Affiliation:
Veteran
Population:
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Methodology:
Empirical Study
Mathematical Model
Quantitative Study
Authors:
Hall, Brian J., Elhai, Jon D., Grubaugh, Anouk, Tuerk, Peter, Magruder, Kathryn
Abstract:
The present study assessed potential gender differences between the two prevailing PTSD models – the emotional numbing (King, Leskin, King, & Weathers, 1998) and dysphoria (Simms, Watson, & Doebbelling, 2002) models – in order to establish whether one model is superior with regard to its cross-gender generalizability. The sample included 188 female and 690 male trauma-exposed United States Veterans presenting to Veterans Affairs primary care medical clinics. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses with covariates (MIMIC models) were conducted using the PTSD Checklist. The covariates included were socio-demographic variables and the type of traumatic event experienced. The emotional numbing model was statistically superior for men, but no difference between models was noted for females. After controlling for model covariates, men reported higher item-level severity and women had larger residual error variances and larger factor variances and covariances in the emotional numbing model. These results suggest partial generalizability of the emotional numbing model across gender.
Publisher/Sponsoring Organization:
Elsevier Science
Publication Type:
Article
REACH Publication
Author Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Mental Health, BJH
Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, JDE
Ralph M. Johnson Veteran's Affairs Hospital, AG
Ralph M. Johnson Veteran's Affairs Hospital, PT
Ralph M. Johnson Veteran's Affairs Hospital, KM
Keywords:
ptsd, post traumatic stress disorder, confirmatory factor analysis, gender differences
REACH Publication Type:
Research Summary
Sponsors:
National Institute of Mental Health, US, Grant Number: T32MH014592-35, T32MH018869- 24
US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development, Health Services Research and Development, US, Career Development Award (CDA-2)
US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development, Clinical Sciences Research and Development, Career Development Award (CDA-2)
US Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Services Research and Development Program, US, Grant Number: VCR-99-010-2