Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesPrevalenceDiagnosisTreatment

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Causes

Prevalence

Diagnosis

Treatment

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)is a mental illness that some people develop following a traumatic experience. Not everyone develops PTSD, but it can be highly distressing for those who do. Though anyone can be susceptible to PTSD, women are twice as likely than men to develop it. Regardless of gender, PTSD symptoms can vary from person to person.This article discusses PTSD symptoms in women and explains its causes, prevalence, and treatment.Lourdes Balduque / Getty ImagesA Note on Gender and Sex TerminologyVerywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts. However, they are not the same. To reflect our sources accurately, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as our sources do.PTSD Symptoms in WomenPTSD symptoms occur when you associate a traumatic experience with a trigger in your current life. You experience a natural fear response to the trigger, even if there is no present threat.For a healthcare provider to diagnose you with PTSD, you must experience several symptoms for at least one month. PTSD symptoms include:Reexperiencing the traumatic incidenteither through flashbacks, recurring dreams or memories, distressing thoughts, or physical stress symptoms.Avoiding places, things, or reminders of the eventand avoiding thoughts and feelings related to the event.Having reactive responses, such as startling easily, feeling tense or on edge, having difficulty concentrating, experiencing sleep disturbances, feeling irritable or angry, and engaging in dangerous or destructive behaviors.Experiencing cognition or mood-related symptoms, such as difficulty remembering the incident, feeling negative about yourself or the world, having uncontrollable guilt or shame, losing interest in activities, experiencing isolation, or no longer experiencing joy or happiness.Women in particular may experience PTSD symptoms uniquely, including being more likely to:Startle more easily than menExpress fear differently from men and exhibit fight-and-flight responses more oftenFeel more distractible and experience emotional distress and numbnessAvoid reminders of traumatic incidentsExperience depression and anxietyLGBTQ+ People Have the Highest PTSD RiskThose who identify as LGBTQ+ are also at an increased risk of developing PTSD, as are cisgender women. At the highest risk are those who aretransgenderand/orbisexual.Causes of PTSD in WomenA person is at risk of developing PTSD after exposure to a traumatic event. Some traumatic experiences that specifically put women at risk of developing PTSD include:Sexual assaultStalkingPhysical violence and intimate partner violenceMilitary experience, including both combat and sexual assaultChildhood abuse or neglectThe severity and length of time that a woman experiences trauma symptoms is likely due to a combination of genetics, hormones, and life experiences. Additionally, women are more likely to experience trauma at a younger age.Prevalence of PTSD in WomenThough PTSD is more common in women than men, the reason for this is unknown. Research on female-specific PTSD has been limited.However, research that has asked women about harmful or traumatic childhood experiences calledadverse childhood experiences (ACEs)shows that they are twice as likely as men to have experienced six or more adverse childhood experiences between the ages of 1 and 17.PTSD Is More Common in WomenPTSD has a prevalence of 10% to 12% in women as compared to 5% to 6% in men, and about 1 in 10 women will develop PTSD in their lifetime.How PTSD Is Diagnosed in WomenOnly a licensed mental health or healthcare provider can diagnose PTSD. A woman might be diagnosed with PTSD if she has been experiencing several symptoms of the illness for at least one month.To provide a diagnosis, the provider will ask several questions about the impact of your symptoms and how much time has passed since you started experiencing them. After the provider diagnoses you, they will develop a treatment plan to reduce symptoms and increase healthy coping skills.How PTSD Is DiagnosedTreating PTSD in WomenWomen who are coping with PTSD tend to use a more emotional, defensive, and palliative style compared to men, who tend to take more of a problem-solving approach. It is also common for women to need strong social connections and support to recover from traumatic experiences.Psychotherapyis also an effective tool for healing from trauma and reducing PTSD in women.During psychotherapy, there are several practical treatment approaches, including the following:Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT)Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)Dialectical behavior therapy for PTSD (DBT-PTSD)Cognitive processing therapy (CPT)The goal of these treatment methods is to reduce trauma symptoms, adopt coping mechanisms, and reprocess how the trauma is stored in the brain to decrease the impact of trauma.How PTSD Is TreatedSummaryPTSD is a common mental illness that can significantly impact your mental, emotional, and physical well-being following a traumatic event. For women, PTSD can have a worse or longer-term impact than for men. Women develop PTSD twice as often as men and experience PTSD differently. A mental health or medical provider can diagnose PTSD and recommend treatment options for reducing symptoms.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)is a mental illness that some people develop following a traumatic experience. Not everyone develops PTSD, but it can be highly distressing for those who do. Though anyone can be susceptible to PTSD, women are twice as likely than men to develop it. Regardless of gender, PTSD symptoms can vary from person to person.

This article discusses PTSD symptoms in women and explains its causes, prevalence, and treatment.

Lourdes Balduque / Getty Images

Woman wearing a sweater gazing out the window at an overcast sky

A Note on Gender and Sex TerminologyVerywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts. However, they are not the same. To reflect our sources accurately, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as our sources do.

A Note on Gender and Sex Terminology

Verywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts. However, they are not the same. To reflect our sources accurately, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as our sources do.

PTSD Symptoms in Women

PTSD symptoms occur when you associate a traumatic experience with a trigger in your current life. You experience a natural fear response to the trigger, even if there is no present threat.

For a healthcare provider to diagnose you with PTSD, you must experience several symptoms for at least one month. PTSD symptoms include:

Women in particular may experience PTSD symptoms uniquely, including being more likely to:

LGBTQ+ People Have the Highest PTSD RiskThose who identify as LGBTQ+ are also at an increased risk of developing PTSD, as are cisgender women. At the highest risk are those who aretransgenderand/orbisexual.

LGBTQ+ People Have the Highest PTSD Risk

Those who identify as LGBTQ+ are also at an increased risk of developing PTSD, as are cisgender women. At the highest risk are those who aretransgenderand/orbisexual.

Causes of PTSD in Women

A person is at risk of developing PTSD after exposure to a traumatic event. Some traumatic experiences that specifically put women at risk of developing PTSD include:

The severity and length of time that a woman experiences trauma symptoms is likely due to a combination of genetics, hormones, and life experiences. Additionally, women are more likely to experience trauma at a younger age.

Prevalence of PTSD in Women

Though PTSD is more common in women than men, the reason for this is unknown. Research on female-specific PTSD has been limited.However, research that has asked women about harmful or traumatic childhood experiences calledadverse childhood experiences (ACEs)shows that they are twice as likely as men to have experienced six or more adverse childhood experiences between the ages of 1 and 17.

PTSD Is More Common in WomenPTSD has a prevalence of 10% to 12% in women as compared to 5% to 6% in men, and about 1 in 10 women will develop PTSD in their lifetime.

PTSD Is More Common in Women

PTSD has a prevalence of 10% to 12% in women as compared to 5% to 6% in men, and about 1 in 10 women will develop PTSD in their lifetime.

How PTSD Is Diagnosed in Women

Only a licensed mental health or healthcare provider can diagnose PTSD. A woman might be diagnosed with PTSD if she has been experiencing several symptoms of the illness for at least one month.

To provide a diagnosis, the provider will ask several questions about the impact of your symptoms and how much time has passed since you started experiencing them. After the provider diagnoses you, they will develop a treatment plan to reduce symptoms and increase healthy coping skills.

How PTSD Is Diagnosed

Treating PTSD in Women

Women who are coping with PTSD tend to use a more emotional, defensive, and palliative style compared to men, who tend to take more of a problem-solving approach. It is also common for women to need strong social connections and support to recover from traumatic experiences.Psychotherapyis also an effective tool for healing from trauma and reducing PTSD in women.

During psychotherapy, there are several practical treatment approaches, including the following:

The goal of these treatment methods is to reduce trauma symptoms, adopt coping mechanisms, and reprocess how the trauma is stored in the brain to decrease the impact of trauma.

How PTSD Is Treated

Summary

PTSD is a common mental illness that can significantly impact your mental, emotional, and physical well-being following a traumatic event. For women, PTSD can have a worse or longer-term impact than for men. Women develop PTSD twice as often as men and experience PTSD differently. A mental health or medical provider can diagnose PTSD and recommend treatment options for reducing symptoms.

8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Shansky RM.Sex differences in PTSD resilience and susceptibility: challenges for animal models of fear learning.Neurobiol Stress. 2015;1:60-65. doi:10.1016/j.ynstr.2014.09.005National Institute of Mental Health.Post-traumatic stress disorder.U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office on Women’s Health.Post-traumatic stress disorder.Marchi M, Travascio A, Uberti D, et al.Post-traumatic stress disorder among LGBTQ people: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. 2023;32:e44. doi:10.1017/S2045796023000586Olff M.Sex and gender differences in post-traumatic stress disorder: an update.Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2017;8(sup4):1351204. doi:10.1080/20008198.2017.1351204Machtinger EL, Cuca YP, Khanna N, et al.From treatment to healing: the promise of trauma-informed primary care.Womens Health Issues. 2015;25(3):193-197. doi:10.1016/j.whi.2015.03.008Ehring T, Welboren R, Morina N, et al.Meta-analysis of psychological treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder in adult survivors of childhood abuse.Clin Psychol Rev. 2014;34(8):645-657. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2014.10.004Bohus M, Kleindienst N, Hahn C, et al.Dialectical behavior therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (DBT-PTSD) compared with cognitive processing therapy (CPT) in complex presentations of PTSD in women survivors of childhood abuse: a randomized clinical trial.JAMA Psychiatry. 2020;77(12):1235-1245. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.2148

8 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Shansky RM.Sex differences in PTSD resilience and susceptibility: challenges for animal models of fear learning.Neurobiol Stress. 2015;1:60-65. doi:10.1016/j.ynstr.2014.09.005National Institute of Mental Health.Post-traumatic stress disorder.U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office on Women’s Health.Post-traumatic stress disorder.Marchi M, Travascio A, Uberti D, et al.Post-traumatic stress disorder among LGBTQ people: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. 2023;32:e44. doi:10.1017/S2045796023000586Olff M.Sex and gender differences in post-traumatic stress disorder: an update.Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2017;8(sup4):1351204. doi:10.1080/20008198.2017.1351204Machtinger EL, Cuca YP, Khanna N, et al.From treatment to healing: the promise of trauma-informed primary care.Womens Health Issues. 2015;25(3):193-197. doi:10.1016/j.whi.2015.03.008Ehring T, Welboren R, Morina N, et al.Meta-analysis of psychological treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder in adult survivors of childhood abuse.Clin Psychol Rev. 2014;34(8):645-657. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2014.10.004Bohus M, Kleindienst N, Hahn C, et al.Dialectical behavior therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (DBT-PTSD) compared with cognitive processing therapy (CPT) in complex presentations of PTSD in women survivors of childhood abuse: a randomized clinical trial.JAMA Psychiatry. 2020;77(12):1235-1245. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.2148

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Shansky RM.Sex differences in PTSD resilience and susceptibility: challenges for animal models of fear learning.Neurobiol Stress. 2015;1:60-65. doi:10.1016/j.ynstr.2014.09.005National Institute of Mental Health.Post-traumatic stress disorder.U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office on Women’s Health.Post-traumatic stress disorder.Marchi M, Travascio A, Uberti D, et al.Post-traumatic stress disorder among LGBTQ people: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. 2023;32:e44. doi:10.1017/S2045796023000586Olff M.Sex and gender differences in post-traumatic stress disorder: an update.Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2017;8(sup4):1351204. doi:10.1080/20008198.2017.1351204Machtinger EL, Cuca YP, Khanna N, et al.From treatment to healing: the promise of trauma-informed primary care.Womens Health Issues. 2015;25(3):193-197. doi:10.1016/j.whi.2015.03.008Ehring T, Welboren R, Morina N, et al.Meta-analysis of psychological treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder in adult survivors of childhood abuse.Clin Psychol Rev. 2014;34(8):645-657. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2014.10.004Bohus M, Kleindienst N, Hahn C, et al.Dialectical behavior therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (DBT-PTSD) compared with cognitive processing therapy (CPT) in complex presentations of PTSD in women survivors of childhood abuse: a randomized clinical trial.JAMA Psychiatry. 2020;77(12):1235-1245. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.2148

Shansky RM.Sex differences in PTSD resilience and susceptibility: challenges for animal models of fear learning.Neurobiol Stress. 2015;1:60-65. doi:10.1016/j.ynstr.2014.09.005

National Institute of Mental Health.Post-traumatic stress disorder.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office on Women’s Health.Post-traumatic stress disorder.

Marchi M, Travascio A, Uberti D, et al.Post-traumatic stress disorder among LGBTQ people: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. 2023;32:e44. doi:10.1017/S2045796023000586

Olff M.Sex and gender differences in post-traumatic stress disorder: an update.Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2017;8(sup4):1351204. doi:10.1080/20008198.2017.1351204

Machtinger EL, Cuca YP, Khanna N, et al.From treatment to healing: the promise of trauma-informed primary care.Womens Health Issues. 2015;25(3):193-197. doi:10.1016/j.whi.2015.03.008

Ehring T, Welboren R, Morina N, et al.Meta-analysis of psychological treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder in adult survivors of childhood abuse.Clin Psychol Rev. 2014;34(8):645-657. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2014.10.004

Bohus M, Kleindienst N, Hahn C, et al.Dialectical behavior therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (DBT-PTSD) compared with cognitive processing therapy (CPT) in complex presentations of PTSD in women survivors of childhood abuse: a randomized clinical trial.JAMA Psychiatry. 2020;77(12):1235-1245. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.2148

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