Focus on women: Duty-related and sexual stress in the etiology of PTSD among women veterans who seek treatment

Fontana, A.

Citation

Fontana, A. & Rosenheck, R. (1998). Focus on women: Duty-related and sexual stress in the etiology of PTSD among women veterans who seek treatment. Psychiatric Services, 49, 658—662.

Description

This study examined military duty-related stress, military sexual stress (sexual abuse and harassment), and the development of PTSD among women veterans treated in a VA clinical program.  The researchers found that sexual stress was much more significant in the development of PTSD than duty-related stress.  They also found that post-military social support had a significant meditational role between sexual stress while in military service and the development of PTSD.