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Sex-Based Contributors to and Consequences of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Lucy V Hiscox1, Tamsin H Sharp1, Miranda Olff2,3
1Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
Purpose Of Review:
Women are twice as likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to men after a traumatic experience. The purpose of this mini review was to explore recent research on biological contributors to this sex difference.
Recent Findings:
We identified 51 studies published since 2019. Studies found that beyond the influence of sex on the prevalence and symptoms of PTSD, there is evidence for and against sex-based differences in genetic and epigenetic factors (n = 8), brain structure and function (n = 11), neuroendocrine and inflammatory responses (n = 5), and in the role of sleep on emotional memory processing (n = 1). Sex differences were also observed in recovery and during PTSD treatment (n = 16). Finally, there is emerging evidence of sex-differentiated risk for medical and psychiatric comorbidities in PTSD (n = 10). Rapid advances are being made using integrated multidisciplinary approaches to understand why females are at a heightened risk for developing PTSD.
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