Gender‐specific associations among trauma type, sociodemographic conditions, and posttraumatic stress symptom severity: Evidence from a nationally representative Icelandic sample

Abstract Trauma exposure is associated with a range of adverse mental health and sociodemographic factors. However, gender‐specific patterns related to distinct trauma types and social variables remain underexplored. Using cross‐sectional data from a nationally representative sample of 1,766 Icelandic adults randomly selected from the national population registry ( n = 930 women, n = 836 men, M age = 49.6 years), we examined posttraumatic stress symptom (PTSS) severity across trauma types and sociodemographic factors, focusing on gender differences. Trauma exposure was assessed using the Life Events Checklist for DSM‐5 (LEC‐5) and categorized into noninterpersonal trauma, interpersonal trauma, and sexual violence (SV). PTSS severity was measured using the PTSD Checklist for DSM‐5 (PCL‐5), and sociodemographic indicators included relationship status, educational attainment, employment, disability, and perceived financial stability. Hierarchical ordinary least squares regression analyses showed that exposure to SV or interpersonal trauma, financial instability, disability, and being unpartnered were independently associated with higher PTSS severity. The final model explained 19% of the variance in PTSS scores with standardized effects |β| ≈ .08–.23. Gender differences observed in the initial model were substantially reduced after accounting for trauma type and sociodemographic factors, consistent with the interpretation that observed gender disparities in PTSS may reflect contextual rather than inherent differences. These findings highlight the importance of integrating trauma type, gender, and social context to understand vulnerability to PTSS and inform gender‐sensitive, trauma‐informed prevention and intervention strategies.