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Gender-Specific Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adolescents: The Role of Problematic Substance Use and Interpersonal Relationships

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Abstract

Gender is an important risk factor for both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUD) in adolescents; however, little is known about the influence of gender when considering their common co-occurrence. This study examined independent predictors of PTSD severity between genders in a Danish probability sample of 15- to 18-year-old males (n = 863) and females (n = 1,125). The results showed that drug abuse and avoidant attachment to best friends were significant predictors of PTSD severity in male adolescents, whereas alcohol abuse and the absence of posttraumatic social support from parents remained significant predictors for female adolescents. The results support the influence of gender-specific substance abuse patterns and dysfunctional interpersonal relationships on the PTSD severity of traumatized adolescents.

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Notes

  1. Statistics Denmark is an independent institution that develops, produces and disseminates statistics about the Danish society

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Michael Mulbjerg Pedersen for statistical advice and support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark

    Dagmar Feddern Donbaek

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

    Ask Elklit

  3. School of Psychology, University of Ulster, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK

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  1. Dagmar Feddern Donbaek
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Correspondence to Dagmar Feddern Donbaek.

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Donbaek, D.F., Elklit, A. Gender-Specific Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Adolescents: The Role of Problematic Substance Use and Interpersonal Relationships. Journ Child Adol Trauma 8, 161–172 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-015-0040-5

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