Gender differences in the factor structure of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in war-exposed adolescents

DSM-IV's three-factor model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is rarely empirically supported, whereas other four-factor models ( King et al., 1998 and Simms et al., 2002) have proven to be better representations of PTSD's latent structure. To date, a clear consensus as to which model provides the best representation of PTSD's underlying dimensions has yet to be reached. The current study investigated whether gender is associated with factor structure differences using the King et al. (1998) model of reexperiencing, avoidance, numbing, and hyperarousal PTSD symptoms. Participants were war-exposed Bosnian secondary/high school boys and girls (N = 1572) assessed nearly two years after the 1992–1995 Bosnian conflict. Confirmatory factor analytic tests of measurement invariance across PTSD model parameters revealed many significant sex-linked differences. Implications regarding the potential role of gender as a moderator of the King et al. (1998) model's factor structure are discussed.

Research highlights
► Neither the King nor the Simms model was statistically superior to the other in both subgroups
► Invariance testing revealed that the girl subgroup significantly differed from the boy subgroup in all factor structure parameters
► The girls subgroup had higher observed intercepts
► The girls subgroup had larger residual error variances
► The girls subgroup had larger factor variances and covariances.