Gender differences in clinical presentation among treatment-seeking Veterans and Canadian Armed Forces personnel

Abstract

Introduction: Limited research has investigated gender differences among treatment-seeking Veterans and serving military personnel, despite important implications for treatment provision. In order to better serve the needs of women with military service, the authors sought to address this gap by examining the clinical presentation of men and women requesting services for military-related operational stress injuries (OSIs). Methods: Using a sample of 648 treatment-seeking male ( n = 550) and female ( n = 99) Veterans and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel, the authors compared prevalence of childhood sexual and physical abuse, probable mental health diagnoses (posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression, and generalized anxiety disorder [GAD]), and severity of pain and somatic symptoms. Results were rerun to control for sociodemographic variables that significantly differed by gender. Results: Rates of probable PTSD were higher for women ( p < 0.05), and women reported significantly more somatic symptoms ( p < 0.001), pain severity ( p < 0.01), and childhood sexual abuse (47% of the sample; p < 0.001). Both men and women reported equally high rates of childhood physical abuse (71% for both genders). Discussion: Women in this study had a higher prevalence of probable PTSD and childhood sexual abuse, and reported higher severity of pain and somatic symptoms. The study highlights the diverse range of issues that are clinically relevant for – and may complicate the treatment of – women with military service who have OSIs.