What are the most prevalent life stressors faced by women in a high-income Nordic country, and which life stressors are associated with the highest prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder?
Findings in a cross-sectional study of 28199 women in the SAGA Cohort show that sexual and physical assaults are the most common life stressors linked to probable PTSD in Icelandic women. The study, published in Jama Network, finds that 40% of women, in this welfare state with the highest gender-equality index worldwide,have been exposed to sexual and physical assaults and that these assaults are associated with the highest conditional risk of probable PTSD of all trauma types.
These results suggest that widespread societal efforts are needed to prevent violence against women, and systematic screening of violence and PTSD in the health care system is warranted for targeted treatment and prevention of secondary health risks among women with PTSD.