Social support and (complex) posttraumatic stress symptom severity: does gender matter?
Journal: European journal of psychotraumatology
Volume: 15
Issue: 1
Year of Publication: 2024
Affiliated Institutions:
Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic, Institute of Neurosciences (UBNeuro), Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
Department of Psychology, University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Munich, Germany.
Department of Psychology and Social Work, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden.
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Piura, Lima, Peru.
Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Therapies, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
Private Practice, Istanbul, Turkey.
Department of Psychiatry, Koç University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Interpsy EA, University of Lorraine, Nancy, France.
Department of Psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India.
School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.
Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Kurume University, Kurume, Japan.
Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Neuroscience & Public Health, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Department of Psychology, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, USA.
Schizophrenia Research Foundation, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital (KKCTH), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Psychological Sciences Faculty, University of Missouri - St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, USA.
Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Abstract summary
Perceived social support is an established predictor of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after exposure to a traumatic event. Gender is an important factor that could differentiate responses to social support, yet this has been little explored. Symptoms of complex PTSD are also common following trauma but have been under-researched in this context. Large scale studies with culturally diverse samples are particularly lacking. In a multi-country sample, we examined: (a) gender differences in perceived social support and both posttraumatic stress symptom severity (PTSS) and complex posttraumatic stress symptom severity (CPTSS); (b) associations between social support and PTSS/CPTSS; and (c) the potential moderating role of gender in the relationship between perceived social support and trauma-related distress. A total of 2483 adults (= 30yrs, 69.9% females) from 39 countries, who had been exposed to mixed trauma types, completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the International Trauma Questionnaire (which captures PTSS/CPTSS). Regression analyses examined associations between gender, perceived social support, and PTSS/CPTSS; and tested for gender by social support interactions in predicting PTSS/CPTSS scores. Models were adjusted for age and socioeconomic status. In our cross-country sample, females had greater PTSS/CPTSS than males ( = .23 [95% CI 0.16, 0.30], < .001; = .20 [0.12, 0.27], < .001; respectively), but there was no evidence of gender differences in perceived social support ( = .05 [-0.05, 0.16], = .33). For both genders, low perceived social support was associated with higher PTSS/CPTSS (females: = -.16 [-0.20, -0.12], < .001; = -.27 [-0.30, -0.24], < .001; respectively; males: = -.22 [-0.29, -0.15], < .001; = -.31 [-0.36, -0.26], < .001; respectively), and for PTSS only we found weak evidence that this association was stronger for males vs. females ( = .07 [0.04, 0.14, = .04). Individuals who feel more socially supported have lower trauma-related distress, and this association is similar in males and females. PTSD/CPTSD interventions may benefit from augmenting perceived social support, regardless of gender.
Authors & Co-authors:
Fares-Otero Natalia E NE
Sharp Tamsin H TH
Balle Stefanie R SR
Quaatz Sarah M SM
Vieta Eduard E
Åhs Fredrik F
Allgaier Antje-Kathrin AK
Arévalo Adrián A
Bachem Rahel R
Belete Habte H
Mossie Tilahun Belete TB
Berzengi Azi A
Capraz Necip N
Ceylan Deniz D
Dukes Daniel D
Essadek Aziz A
Iqbal Naved N
Jobson Laura L
Levy-Gigi Einat E
Lüönd Antonia A
Martin-Soelch Chantal C
Michael Tanja T
Oe Misari M
Olff Miranda M
Örnkloo Helena H
Prakash Krithika K
Ramakrishnan Muniarajan M
Raghavan Vijaya V
Şar Vedat V
Seedat Soraya S
Spies Georgina G
SusilKumar Vandhana V
Wadji Dany Laure DL
Wamser-Nanney Rachel R
Haim-Nachum Shilat S
Schnyder Ulrich U
Sopp Marie R MR
Pfaltz Monique C MC
Halligan Sarah L SL
Study Outcome
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