TY - JOUR
T1 - Social support and (complex) posttraumatic stress symptom severity
T2 - does gender matter?
AU - Fares-Otero, Natalia E.
AU - Sharp, Tamsin H.
AU - Balle, Stefanie R.
AU - Quaatz, Sarah M.
AU - Vieta, Eduard
AU - Åhs, Fredrik
AU - Allgaier, Antje Kathrin
AU - Arévalo, Adrián
AU - Bachem, Rahel
AU - Belete, Habte
AU - Mossie, Tilahun Belete
AU - Berzengi, Azi
AU - Capraz, Necip
AU - Ceylan, Deniz
AU - Dukes, Daniel
AU - Essadek, Aziz
AU - Iqbal, Naved
AU - Jobson, Laura
AU - Levy-Gigi, Einat
AU - Lüönd, Antonia
AU - Martin-Soelch, Chantal
AU - Michael, Tanja
AU - Oe, Misari
AU - Olff, Miranda
AU - Örnkloo, Helena
AU - Prakash, Krithika
AU - Ramakrishnan, Muniarajan
AU - Raghavan, Vijaya
AU - Şar, Vedat
AU - Seedat, Soraya
AU - Spies, Georgina
AU - SusilKumar, Vandhana
AU - Wadji, Dany Laure
AU - Wamser-Nanney, Rachel
AU - Haim-Nachum, Shilat
AU - Schnyder, Ulrich
AU - Sopp, Marie R.
AU - Pfaltz, Monique C.
AU - Halligan, Sarah L.
PY - 2024/10/15
Y1 - 2024/10/15
N2 - Background: 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.Objectives: 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.Method: A total of 2483 adults (Mage = 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.Results: In our cross-country sample, females had greater PTSS/CPTSS than males (B = .23 [95% CI 0.16, 0.30], p < .001; B = .20 [0.12, 0.27], p < .001; respectively), but there was no evidence of gender differences in perceived social support (B = .05 [-0.05, 0.16], p = .33). For both genders, low perceived social support was associated with higher PTSS/CPTSS (females: B = -.16 [-0.20, -0.12], p < .001; B = -.27 [-0.30, -0.24], p < .001; respectively; males: B = -.22 [-0.29, -0.15], p < .001; B = -.31 [-0.36, -0.26], p < .001; respectively), and for PTSS only we found weak evidence that this association was stronger for males vs. females (B = .07 [0.04, 0.14, p = .04).Conclusion: 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.
AB - Background: 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.Objectives: 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.Method: A total of 2483 adults (Mage = 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.Results: In our cross-country sample, females had greater PTSS/CPTSS than males (B = .23 [95% CI 0.16, 0.30], p < .001; B = .20 [0.12, 0.27], p < .001; respectively), but there was no evidence of gender differences in perceived social support (B = .05 [-0.05, 0.16], p = .33). For both genders, low perceived social support was associated with higher PTSS/CPTSS (females: B = -.16 [-0.20, -0.12], p < .001; B = -.27 [-0.30, -0.24], p < .001; respectively; males: B = -.22 [-0.29, -0.15], p < .001; B = -.31 [-0.36, -0.26], p < .001; respectively), and for PTSS only we found weak evidence that this association was stronger for males vs. females (B = .07 [0.04, 0.14, p = .04).Conclusion: 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.
KW - adultos
KW - adults
KW - apoyo social
KW - complex PTSD
KW - gender
KW - género
KW - PTSD
KW - sex
KW - sexo
KW - social support
KW - TEPT
KW - TEPT complejo
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85206275109&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/20008066.2024.2398921
DO - 10.1080/20008066.2024.2398921
M3 - Article
C2 - 39403959
AN - SCOPUS:85206275109
SN - 2000-8066
VL - 15
JO - European Journal of Psychotraumatology
JF - European Journal of Psychotraumatology
IS - 1
M1 - 2398921
ER -