An investigation of sex differences in nonpsychiatric morbidity associated with posttraumatic stress disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the current study are to delineate nonpsychiatric illness associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in order to inform services and interventions for traumatized patients in medical and public health settings. The current report examines sex differences in nonpsychiatric illnesses associated with PTSD in a nationally representative sample. Analyses account for the roles of poverty and major depression, 2 factors strongly linked to both health status and PTSD.
METHOD: Data on 2835 men and 3042 women from the National Comorbidity Survey were analyzed to obtain adjusted odds ratios for the risk of medical conditions and the types of medical conditions associated with PTSD for men and women.
RESULTS: Women and men with PTSD were more than twice as likely to experience at least 1 current nonpsychiatric medical condition as were women and men without PTSD, even when age, socioeconomic status, and major depression were adjusted for. Depression and income below the poverty level were associated with additional risk of nonpsychiatric conditions among women, but not among men.
CONCLUSIONS: PTSD is associated with significant nonpsychiatric illness. The relationship between PTSD and current health conditions is similar for men and women, but depression and poverty, which frequently co-occur with PTSD, define a subset of disadvantaged women with significant health and mental health service needs. Interventions for this population must address the full range of both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric illness.