Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men. About 8 of every 100 women (or 8%) and 4 of every 100 men (or 4%) will have PTSD at some point in their life. This is in part due to the types of traumatic events that women are more likely to experience—such as sexual assault—compared to men.
The most common events leading to the development of PTSD include: Combat exposure. Childhood physical abuse. Sexual violence.
PTSD affects approximately 3.5 percent of U.S. adults every year. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD in adolescents ages 13 -18 is 8%. An estimate one in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetime. Women are twice as likely as men to have PTSD.
What is the evidence for worldwide prevalence of PTSD? Moderate quality evidence finds the lifetime worldwide prevalence of PTSD in the general population is around 3.9%. In people known to have been exposed to trauma, the rate is 5.6%.
And while not everyone who experiences trauma will develop PTSD, about 5-10% of Australians will suffer from PTSD at some point in their lives.
Gender difference in susceptibility to PTSD appear to be at least partially related to the fact that women are more likely to experience sexual assault, as this experience carries one of the highest risks for PTSD (9).
PTSD symptoms usually appear soon after trauma. For most people, these symptoms go away on their own within the first few weeks and months after the trauma. For some, the symptoms can last for many years, especially if they go untreated. PTSD symptoms can stay at a fairly constant level of severity.
The typical onset age for PTSD is in young and middle adulthood. The NCS-R reported a median onset age of 23 (interquartile range: ages 15-39) among adults (Kessler et al., 2005).
The Gender Difference of PTSD
According to the National Center for PTSD, around 10% of women have PTSD sometime in their lives compared to 4% of men. Numerous research studies on post-traumatic disorder have shown that females are twice as likely to experience PTSD than males.
Your brain is equipped with an alarm system that normally helps ensure your survival. With PTSD, this system becomes overly sensitive and triggers easily. In turn, the parts of your brain responsible for thinking and memory stop functioning properly.
According to recent studies, Emotional Trauma and PTSD do cause both brain and physical damage. Neuropathologists have seen overlapping effects of physical and emotional trauma upon the brain.
Women with PTSD may be more likely than men with PTSD to: Be easily startled. Have more trouble feeling emotions or feel numb. Avoid things that remind them of the trauma.
Keep in mind that anyone can develop PTSD at any age. According to the National Center for PTSD, about 7 to 8% out of people will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Women are more likely to develop PTSD than men, and genes may make some people more likely to develop PTSD than others.
More than 8 million Americans between the age of 18 and older have PTSD. 3.6% of the U.S. adult population experience PTSD in the past year. 67% of people exposed to mass violence have been shown to develop PTSD, a higher rate than those exposed to natural disasters or other types of traumatic events.
DSM-5 diagnostic criteria — DSM-5 includes two sets of diagnostic criteria for PTSD: one applicable to children age six years and older (and adults), and the other for children under six years. PTSD symptoms often manifest differently in children as compared with adults, particularly in young children.
Most often, we see those who have recently been diagnosed, in an effort to help them manage the array of symptoms they are experiencing and help them return to “life as normal” as much as possible. For many people however, the symptoms of PTSD can go on for years and years before they find any relief.
Some Veterans begin to have PTSD symptoms soon after they return from war. These symptoms may last until older age. Other Veterans don't have PTSD symptoms until later in life. For some Veterans, PTSD symptoms can be high right after their war experience, go down over the years, and then worsen again later in life.
The doctor may refer to a psychiatrist or psychologist. They will ask how long, how often and how intense the symptoms are, and what happened during the triggering event. For PTSD to be diagnosed, the symptoms need to be severe enough to interfere with someone's ability to function at work, socially or at home.
NDIS covers PTSD when it is classified as a psychosocial disability. Those with a significant disability that is likely to be permanent, may qualify for NDIS support.
PTSD can be worsened due to the kind of trigger involved. A trigger reminds you of what happened, activating memories, emotions, and physical responses, leading to a severe reaction.
When it comes to men, they typically struggle with anger, isolation, and avoidance. And often this behavior has been going on a long time before they get help. Yet, even though trauma can be different for men, that doesn't mean that they won't benefit from trauma treatment.
Trauma affects a man's mental health.
Unresolved trauma can lead to developing depression or anxiety. It can also worsen the symptoms of these conditions when left untreated. Men can feel powerless and struggle with maintaining healthy relationships and their self-esteem.