Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Inner City Commuter College Students

Abstract

Inner city commuter college students differ from their more traditional college student peers in terms of age, backgrounds and life experiences. Embarking on a liberal arts education, however, requires a journey through self discovery which is similar to the experience of traditional students. Because many of our students present histories of traumatic events, and because the inner city campus itself is often surrounded by violence prone city streets, our students represent a population who are particularly likely to have had to deal with traumatic stress. The educational process, which calls into question prior ways of handling and understanding life, may make the emergence of post-traumatic stress disorder more prevalent among these students. Treatment for this disorder by college student counselors, within the context of the college campus, offers a unique opportunity to help our students master past events within the framework of their new college student identity.