Relation of the Trauma Symptom Inventory’s Sexual Dysfunction Subscale to Overall Distress in African American College Students

Abstract

Recent research has identified that traumatic events have affected individuals from all occupations. Severe trauma and reactions, which in the past were primarily identified with military veterans, have now been recognized in people throughout society. The TSI-2 is a 136 item self-report tool that examines the impact of trauma on an individual’s social and interpersonal functioning. The test has 4 global scales and 12 subscales. This study examined the relation of the Sexual Dysfunction subscale to overall pathology and its implication in African American college students. Students from a HBCU volunteered to complete this scale as part of a larger study-evaluating mood and cognitive functioning. The researchers reexamined the data in relation to performance on the Sexual Dysfunction Scale and overall signs of distress, depression and anxiety. Results found individuals who scored elevated on the scale also had high elevations on measures of significant distress and pathology. They also were high risks for selfinjury. An item analysis indicated these individuals were likely to act impulsively and demonstrate acknowledged poor judgment in dating and sexual activities (e.g., having sex without protection, sleeping with someone who they knew was not good for them). This subscale possibly has utility in screening for college students whose experience with trauma may lead them to be high risks for exploitation and poor adjustment on a university campus.