Prevalence and gender differences in symptomatology of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression among Iraqi Yazidis displaced into Turkey

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are common among populations displaced due to large-scale political conflicts and war. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence and gender-based differences in symptoms of PTSD and depression among Iraqi Yazidis displaced into Turkey. The study was conducted on 238 individuals who were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I) and the Stressful Life Events Screening Questionnaire. Of the participants, 42.9% met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for PTSD, 39.5% for major depression, and 26.4% for both disorders. More women than men suffered from PTSD and major depression. More women than men with PTSD or depression reported having experienced or witnessed the death of a spouse or child. Women with PTSD reported flashbacks, hypervigilance, and intense psychological distress due to reminders of trauma more frequently than men. Men with PTSD reported feelings of detachment or estrangement from others more frequently than women. More depressive women than men reported feelings of guilt or worthlessness. PTSD and major depression affected women more frequently than men. While women tended to respond to traumatic stress by undermodulation of emotions and low self-esteem, men tended to respond by overmodulation of emotions. Rather than being a derivative of sex differences, this complementary diversity in response types between genders seems to be shaped by social factors in consideration of survival under extreme threat.

创伤后应激障碍（Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD）与抑郁症在因大规模政治冲突与战争流离失所的人群中颇为常见。本研究旨在调研流离至土耳其的伊拉克雅兹迪群体中，PTSD与抑郁症的症状患病率及性别差异。本研究共纳入238名受试者，采用《DSM-IV结构化临床访谈（SCID-I）》与《应激性生活事件筛查问卷》对其进行评估。受试者中，42.9%符合DSM-IV规定的PTSD诊断标准，39.5%符合重性抑郁症诊断标准，26.4%同时罹患两种疾病。罹患PTSD与重性抑郁症的女性人数多于男性。罹患PTSD或抑郁症的女性中，报告亲历或目睹配偶或子女死亡的比例高于男性。患有PTSD的女性较男性更频繁地报告出现闪回、过度警觉以及因创伤线索引发的强烈心理痛苦。患有PTSD的男性较女性更频繁地报告存在与他人疏离或隔阂的感受。罹患抑郁症的女性中，报告存在内疚感或无价值感的比例高于男性。PTSD与重性抑郁症对女性的影响频率高于男性。女性在创伤性应激下多表现为情绪调节不足与低自尊，而男性则多表现为情绪调节过度。这种性别间应对方式的互补性差异并非源于生理性别差异，而是在极端威胁下的生存考量中，由社会因素塑造而成。