Association of Trauma History with Current Psychosocial Health Outcomes of Young African American Women

Abstract

African American women have a higher likelihood of experiencing lifetime trauma compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Trauma exposure may be associated with higher substance misuse and greater adverse sexual and mental health outcomes. This study expands upon previous empirical findings to characterize the effect of trauma history on substance use, sexual health, and mental health among young African American women. This study included 560 African American women aged 18–24 years in Atlanta, Georgia. Trauma history was defined as having ever experienced a traumatic event based on the Traumatic Events Screening Inventory (TESI). Relative to women not reporting a trauma history and controlling for age, education, and employment, women who experienced trauma were over 2.5 and 2.3 times, respectively, more likely to report alcohol misuse and marijuana misuse. They were 3.0 times more likely to experience peer normative pressure for substance use. Women who experienced trauma were 2.1 times more likely to have multiple sex partners, 2.9 times more likely to have peer norms for risky sex, 1.8 times more likely to perceive barriers to using condoms with sex partners, 2.1 times more likely to report lower communication frequency about sex, 2.0 times more likely to report lower self-efficacy for refusing sex, and 1.9 times more likely to report less relationship control. Women with a trauma history were also 5.0 times more likely to have experienced intimate partner violence, 2.1 times more likely to report high depression symptomatology, 4.0 times more likely to report high overall stress, 3.2 times more likely to have worse coping skills, and 1.8 times more likely to have poor emotional regulation. Findings suggest that trauma history may increase myriad adverse psychosocial health outcomes. Screening for trauma history may help inform the provision of services. Intensified TESI screenings may help identify a history of trauma and assist in identifying adverse health outcomes.