Gender as moderator of the relations between interpersonal and noninterpersonal trauma exposure and mental health problems in conflict-affected children and adolescents

Kurzfassung/Abstract

This study examined the moderating role of gender in the associations between cumulative exposure to interpersonal trauma (IPT) and noninterpersonal trauma (NIPT) and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents in conflict-affected areas. Method: Based on a sample of 980 children (rangeage = 6–12, Mage = 9.60, 471 girls) and 472 adolescents (rangeage = 13–18, Mage = 15.26, 218 girls) living in or near conflict-affected regions (Burundi, Northern Uganda, Iraq, Syria, and Sri Lanka), multigroup path analyses were conducted to examine whether cumulative exposure to IPT and NIPT was differentially associated with mental health problems (posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, internalizing and externalizing problems) in girls and boys. Results: Among adolescents, higher cumulative exposure to IPT was significantly more strongly associated with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in girls than in boys, and higher cumulative exposure to NIPT was significantly associated with externalizing problems in girls only. Among children, all independent associations between types of trauma exposure and mental health problems were significant and did not differ between girls and boys. Conclusions: The findings suggest that female vulnerability to traumatic stress after IPT exposure occurs in adolescence.