Resiliency: PTSD

Trauma occurs in many ways. A sudden accident or an incidence of violence can be traumatic. So can the loss of a loved one or suffering from a grave illness. The effects of trauma often persist long after the traumatizing incident, and they can influence every aspect of one's life. When this occurs it is called post-traumatic stress disorder. Symptoms may include anxiety, depression, mood swings, and recurring thoughts about the event. Most people report experiencing at least one traumatic event by age 16 so PTSD is a condition that many teens face. With proper diagnosis and treatment, PTSD can be managed and treated, but the first step is understanding what it is and how to recognize it.

This study explored differences in sense of belonging between students who identify as having PTSD and those who do not and then investigated the role of safety, stigma, and campus climate for mental health in this process. Participants: Participants included 162 undergraduates enrolled at United States institutions. Methods: Data were from the 2015–2016 Healthy Minds study. Analysis included an independent samples t-test and hierarchical regression models. Results: Results suggested that students with PTSD experienced less of a sense of belonging on their campus relative to students who do not have PTSD. Our model including safety, stigma, and campus climate explained 50% of the variance in predicting sense of belonging in the PTSD group. Conclusions: Results support the importance of clinicians, staff, and faculty helping students with PTSD to feel an increased sense of safety, reducing stigma for mental health, and improving campus climate for mental health on their campuses.

This study examined the prevalence and correlates of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in freshman entering college and prospective associations of probable PTSD with additional outcomes. Participants: 2,310 students with data collected from Fall 2014 through Spring 2015. Methods: Incoming freshman completed a survey assessing for relevant variables at the beginning of fall semester and during the spring semester. Results: Seventy percent of the sample endorsed experiencing at least one potentially traumatic event (PTE). 34.4% of PTE exposed individuals met criteria for probable PTSD. Female sex, higher depressive and anxiety symptoms, and interpersonal PTE count were positively associated with PTSD symptoms. Higher PTSD symptoms were associated with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms, and new-onset interpersonal PTE. Conclusions: Identification of factors contributing to risk for PTSD is essential to inform prevention and intervention efforts. Intervention efforts should be targeted to students experiencing PTSD symptoms as they enter college.

A significant subset of college students experience PTSD symptoms, and many engage in problematic alcohol use. Some college students with PTSD symptoms may use alcohol and other substances to cope with their symptoms, and those with PTSD experience more negative alcohol and drug consequences than those without PTSD. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been successfully utilized for individuals with PTSD or substance use disorders. However, to date, no studies have evaluated MBIs for college students with co-occurring PTSD symptoms and problem drinking. This study was a feasibility pilot of a 4-week group loving-kindness meditation (LKM) intervention, a practice of intentionally directing well wishes to oneself and others. LKM was compared to referral to treatment as usual (RTAU) for non-treatment seeking college students (N = 75) with PTSD symptoms and problem drinking. Overall, the LKM group had low to moderate feasibility and acceptability among college students, as recruitment was lower than expected and attendance at LKM groups was modest. Participants’ PTSD symptoms, drinking quantity, and negative drinking consequences decreased, and state mindfulness increased over the course of the study, but there were no significant differences between LKM and RTAU on these outcomes. Additionally, higher coping drinking motives predicted greater PTSD symptoms and more drinking consequences over the course of the study. Effective interventions for college students with PTSD symptoms and problematic alcohol use are needed, especially for individuals who drink to cope with their PTSD symptoms. Future research on LKM that addresses the limitations of the current study is warranted.