Stress Disorders and Gender: Implications for Theory and Research

Abstract

Numerous epidemiological studies report increased prevalence rates for women as compared to men for stress-related disorders such as acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and major depressive disorder. Stress disorders disrupt work and home life and pose a high risk for suicide. Multiple factors contribute to the increased vulnerability in women. Physiological differences account for some of the differential. Other factors that make a significant contribution to the overall risk for health problems in response to stressors or trauma include the nature and meaning of the trauma, accessibility of resources, and restrictive diagnostic categories. Increasing our knowledge of the individual impact of each factor as well as the interactions among the factors is central to understanding the development of stress disorders. Comprehensive sex- and gender-sensitive middle-range theory, which explores the role of key factors identified in qualitative and quantitative research, is required. The authors discuss structural equation modelling as one method of theory testing.