Occurrence of potentially traumatic events, type, and severity in undergraduate students

Background: Trauma exposure can have significant mental health impacts on students that impair academic performance and engagement. It is therefore important to describe the occurrence of trauma experiences and associated symptoms among undergraduate students. Objective: This study aimed to 1) assess the rates of potentially traumatic experiences, 2) examine the frequency of different trauma experience types, and 3) compare post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptom severity across experience subtypes in a large sample of undergraduate students. Methods: Participants were 806 undergraduate students from three Australian universities who completed online self-report measures of trauma exposure, psychological distress, and PTS symptoms. Results: Approximately two-thirds of students (64%) reported having experienced at least one potentially traumatic event. The most common experience types were the unexpected death of a loved one and accidents. Students reporting exposure to potential trauma had significantly higher general distress than non-exposed students. Events involving interpersonal violence were associated with greater PTS symptom severity. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that the occurrence of potentially traumatic events is high among university students and may carry negative effects for mental health and functioning. Results highlight the need for trauma-informed educational approaches and robust counselling services to support students managing trauma histories.