Trauma-exposed College Students Research Articles

Does the link between posttraumatic cognitions and eating pathology depend on trauma type? The role of sexual violence.

Exposure to potentially traumatic events is well-known to disrupt cognitions about the self. Among trauma-exposed college students, negative cognitions about the self can include low self-worth and heightened perception of behavioral control over outcomes (i.e., self-controllability), including overevaluation of self-control over weight, shape, and eating behaviors. Thus, posttraumatic cognitions may increase risk for eating pathology. These associations may be particularly heightened among those whose trauma was of a sexual nature, given the stigma and inaccurate rape myths that often place the blame on sexual violence survivors rather than perpetrators. Consistent with these possibilities, the present study tested whether sexual violence history moderated expected associations between lower self-worth and greater eating pathology and between greater self-controllability and eating pathology. Participants were 1,303 trauma-exposed college students (71.6% cisgender women) who completed self-report measures. Two linear regression models were examined, controlling for gender identity and posttraumatic stress symptom severity. As expected, more negative views toward the self were associated with greater eating pathology, and this association was stronger among college students who had experienced sexual violence compared with those who only experienced other trauma types. In contrast, beliefs about behavioral control over outcomes were unrelated to eating pathology regardless of trauma type. Findings point to low self-worth as a cognitive target for future research and clinical efforts aimed at addressing trauma-related distress and eating pathology concurrently, especially among individuals with a history of sexual violence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Environmental Suppression Mediates the Relationship between Posttraumatic Stress and Cannabis Use Among Trauma-Exposed College Students.

Trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress (PTS) are prominent risk factors for problematic substance use, but little research has evaluated the mechanisms that link PTS and substance use. Emerging research supports the utility of reward probability (i.e., access to and pleasure experienced in response to environmental reward) as a mediator of the relationship between trauma and alcohol use problems. However, no existing studies have examined whether reward probability mediates the link between posttraumatic stress (PTS) and cannabis use in trauma exposed individuals. In a cross-sectional design, undergraduate students (N = 404) anonymously completed online measures, the Reward Probability Index (RPI; Carvalho et al., 2011), the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL5; Blevins et al., 2015), and the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test - Revised (CUDIT-R; Adamson et al., 2010), to satisfy course requirements. A parallel mediation path analysis model was used to test the hypothesis that RPI scales (Reward Probability, RP; Environmental Suppression, ES) would mediate the relationship between PTS and cannabis misuse. Findings revealed that RPI-ES fully mediated the relationship between PTS and cannabis misuse, whereas RPI-RP did not. Results support the utility of the RPI-ES scale as a transdiagnostic risk factor for both PTS and cannabis use and suggest further investigation into treatment approaches that optimize opportunities for (non-substance) rewarding experiences in the treatment of co-occurring PTS and substance misuse.

Latent profiles of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and sleep disturbances in relation to drinking to cope motives among college students

BackgroundPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), sleep disturbances, and problematic alcohol use are frequently comorbid. Research shows that individuals with more PTSD symptom severity and poorer sleep are highly susceptible to drinking alcohol to cope with negative affect. The current study examined the number and nature of different subgroups of trauma-exposed college students based on endorsed PTSD symptoms and sleep disturbances; and how such subgroups relate to drinking to cope motives. MethodThe sample included 474 trauma-exposed college students (Mage = 20.69 years; 75.50% female) who completed self-report surveys. ResultsLatent profile analyses revealed three subgroups: High PTSD-Sleep Disturbances (n = 71), Moderate PTSD-Sleep Disturbances (n = 135), and Low PTSD-Sleep Disturbances (n = 268). Results indicated that college students in the Low PTSD-Sleep Disturbances group endorsed the lowest amount of coping-related drinking motives; however, college students in the Moderate PTSD-Sleep Disturbances group did not endorse significantly different levels of coping-related drinking motives than college students in the High PTSD-Sleep Disturbances group. ConclusionsCollege students with subclinical presentations of psychopathology are at risk for endorsing risky drinking motives. As they adjust to a stressful environment with a culture of heavy drinking, providing context-relevant intervention efforts such as adaptive coping strategies, relaxation skills designed to facilitate restful sleep, and trauma-informed care may be highly beneficial for college students.

A Longitudinal Investigation of the Buffering Effects of Resilience on Body Mass Index in Trauma-Exposed College Students.

College students are at an increased risk for trauma exposure (TE), as well as weight gain and subsequent obesity. Notably, existing research has demonstrated that TE is associated with subsequent obesity. However, there is a dearth of literature looking at this relationship in college students who are at increased risk. Given this increased risk, there is a need to identify protective factors in the wake of TE that may buffer against the adverse impacts of TE on physical health outcomes. As such, the aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between college onset TE on subsequent BMI, and to examine psychological resilience as a buffer in this relationship. Trauma exposed college students (N= 2,281, Mage=18.5, 61.6% female, 50.3% identifying as racial/ethnic minorities) completed measures of TE, weight, height, and resilience. Individuals completed measures at baseline and at spring follow-up time points each year after. Resilience was assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and both new onset TE and BMI were assessed at Y2, Y3, and Y4. There was no significant main effect of new onset TE on BMI, nor an interaction between resilience and new onset TE. There was a main effect of resilience on later BMI, whereby those with higher levels of reported resilience reported higher BMI in subsequent years (Y2: B=.36, p<.05; Y3: B= .37= p<.01). The positive association between resilience and BMI is not consistent with our hypotheses. Findings suggest that resilience does not buffer against physical health outcomes.

0149 Emotion Dysregulation and Sleep Disturbances in Trauma-Exposed College Students

Abstract Introduction Trauma-exposed individuals are at risk of developing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which has been linked to both sleep disturbances and sleep-related daytime impairment. A growing body of literature suggests affective processes, such as negative and positive emotion regulation, may influence associations between PTSD and sleep. Therefore, our study aimed to examine if there was a direct effect of negative and positive emotion dysregulation on sleep disturbances and sleep-related impairment above the influence of PTSD symptoms. Methods Participants were 460 trauma-exposed college students (69.8% female; 62.0% White; Mage = 20.13 ± 2.94) recruited from the University of North Texas. Trauma exposure was assessed with the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5. Participants completed demographic questionnaires, the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (excluding sleep-related questions), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-16), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation – Positive (DERS-P), the PROMIS Sleep Disturbance (PROMIS-SD), and Sleep-Related Impairment (PROMIS-SRI) Short Forms. Multiple regression models with robust standard errors were conducted to examine associations between both positive and negative emotion dysregulation on sleep disturbances and sleep-related impairment, covarying for PTSD symptoms, age, gender, race, and ethnicity. Results Greater negative emotion dysregulation was associated with greater sleep disturbances (b = 0.06, SE = 0.03, p = .015, ηp2 = 0.01) above the influence of positive emotion dysregulation, PTSD symptoms, age, gender, race, and ethnicity (R2 = 0.28). Greater negative emotion dysregulation was also associated with greater sleep-related impairments (b = 0.20, SE = 0.03, p &amp;lt; .001, ηp2 = 0.08) above the influence of the same covariates (R2 = 0.31). Positive emotion dysregulation was not associated with sleep disturbances or sleep-related impairments. Conclusion Results suggest that more difficulty regulating negative emotions is linked to disturbed sleep among trauma-exposed individuals. Additional experimental work is needed to understand if regulating negative emotions via cognitive-behavioral strategies (e.g., mindfulness, cognitive restructuring) can lead to downstream improvements in sleep. Support (if any)

Emotion regulation repertoires in trauma-exposed college students: Associations with PTSD symptoms, emotional awareness, and emotional clarity.

Emotion regulation (ER) plays a prominent role in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although links between ER strategies and PTSD symptoms are well documented, recent advancements in ER research emphasize the need to move beyond examining ER strategies as isolated processes. Instead, there is a growing movement to understand ER repertoires, or the patterns in which individuals report habitually using the multiple ER strategies available to them. Additionally, awareness and clarity of one's emotional experiences might play a key role in the effective use of ER strategies. The current study examined person-centered repertoires of the habitual use of eleven ER strategies among 372 undergraduates exposed to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) Criterion A trauma-and their relations to PTSD symptoms, emotional awareness, and emotional clarity. Latent profile analysis yielded a three-profile solution (Adaptive, Average, and Maladaptive Regulators) and profiles differed on mean levels PTSD symptoms. Emotional clarity, but not emotional awareness, emerged as a significant predictor of profile classification, even after adjusting for negative affect. Findings suggest that emotional clarity might help foster healthy repertoires of ER strategy use and buffer against the development of PTSD among trauma-exposed individuals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

A statistical genetic investigation of psychiatric resilience

ABSTRACT Background: Although trauma exposure (TE) is a transdiagnostic risk factor for many psychiatric disorders, not everyone who experiences TE develops a psychiatric disorder. Resilience may explain this heterogeneity; thus, it is critical to understand the etiologic underpinnings of resilience. Objective: The present study sought to examine the genetic underpinnings of psychiatric resilience using genome-wide association studies (GWAS), genome-wide complex trait analysis (GCTA), and polygenic risk score (PRS) analyses. Method: Participants were 6,634 trauma exposed college students attending a diverse, public university in the Mid Atlantic. GWAS and GCTA analyses were conducted, and using GWAS summary statistics from large genetic consortia, PRS analyses examined the shared genetic risk between resilience and various phenotypes. Results: Results demonstrate that nine single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) met the suggestive of significance threshold, heritability estimates for resilience were non-significant, and that there is genetic overlap between resilience and AD, as well as resilience and PTSD. Conclusion: Mixed findings from the present study suggest additional research to elucidate the etiological underpinnings of resilience, ideally with larger samples less biased by variables such as heterogeneity (i.e. clinical vs. population based) and population stratification. Genetic investigations of resilience have the potential to elucidate the molecular bases of stress-related psychopathology, suggesting new avenues for prevention and intervention efforts.

Posttraumatic Stress, Alcohol Use, and Alcohol Use Motives among Non-Hispanic Black/African American College Students: The Role of Emotion Regulation

Objective The associations between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, alcohol use, and alcohol use motives are well-established. Emotion regulation difficulties have been implicated in the association between PTSD symptoms and alcohol use. A dearth of empirical work, however, has examined these associations among Black/African American college students, a population with high prevalence of exposure to potentially traumatic events, PTSD symptomatology, and alcohol-related consequences. Methods This study examined PTSD symptoms, emotion regulation difficulties, and alcohol use severity and motives among a sample of Black/African American trauma-exposed college students (N = 282; 77.4% identified as female; M age = 22.36, SD = 4.71). Results PTSD symptom severity was related to alcohol use and coping and conformity motives for alcohol use through heightened emotion regulation difficulties. Findings were significant above and beyond the effects of trauma load (i.e., number of potentially traumatic event types experienced). Conclusions This study extends past work to an understudied population and contributes to groundwork for culturally informed interventions.

Longitudinal relationships among posttraumatic stress disorder symptom clusters in response to positive memory processing

Background and objectives: Avoidance, inherent to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology, is theoretically and empirically linked to the maintenance of PTSD symptom severity. While research indicates traumatized individuals avoid positive and trauma memories, several PTSD treatments focus exclusively on traumatic memories. We examined the mediating role of PTSD's avoidance in the relationship between processing positive memories and PTSD cluster severity (intrusion, mood/cognitions, arousal). Methods: Sixty-five trauma-exposed college students (Mage = 22.52; 86.10% female) were randomly assigned to 3 conditions: narrating/processing, writing/processing, or control (same task across baseline [T0] and follow-up [T1]). Results: Half-longitudinal mediation models indicated participation in the narrating vs. writing and control conditions predicted decreases in T1 intrusion severity via reduction in T1 avoidance severity. Similarly, participation in the narrating vs. writing and control conditions predicted decreases in T1 mood/cognitions' severity via reduction in T1 avoidance severity. Participation in the narrating vs. writing condition predicted decreases in T1 arousal severity via reduction in T1 avoidance severity. Limitations: Data was obtained from an analogue small-size sample of university students. In addition, sessions were only 6–8 days apart, with the processing component of each session lasting ∼30 min. Conclusions: Processing positive memories may relate to lower PTSD severity via a reduction in PTSD's avoidance, paralleling effects of processing trauma memories. Our findings support future investigations of the mechanisms underlying impacts of positive memory processing in the context of PTSD treatments.

PTSD Symptoms, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Alcohol-Related Outcomes Among Trauma-Exposed College Students

PTSD Symptoms, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Alcohol-Related Outcomes Among Trauma-Exposed College Students

The Influences of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Distress Tolerance on Trauma and Alcohol Cue Reactivity in a Sample of Trauma-Exposed College Students

Models of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) often emphasize negative reinforcement drinking (i.e., drinking to reduce negative affect) as a key etiological and maintenance factor. However, potential risk factors related to negative reinforcement drinking in PTSD-AUD are less understood. Distress tolerance exhibits theoretical and empirical promise as one possible, malleable, risk factor. The current study used a trauma and alcohol cue reactivity paradigm to elucidate the role of perceived (i.e., self-reported) distress tolerance in trauma-related alcohol risk. Participants were 185 university students (50.3% female) endorsing lifetime interpersonal trauma exposure and current weekly alcohol consumption. Subjective craving for alcohol was assessed in response to four combinations of audio narrative (personalized trauma vs. neutral) and beverage (alcohol vs. water) cues. Forward-fitting linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate study hypotheses. Perceived distress tolerance significantly interacted with beverage cue in relation to craving (β = -.293, p = .011), such that individuals low, as compared with high, in perceived distress tolerance reported greater craving for alcohol in response to the alcohol, but not water, beverage cue. Although low perceived distress tolerance was associated with greater alcohol coping motives and alcohol use problems at baseline, there were no main effects of perceived distress tolerance in relation to craving, and perceived distress tolerance did not significantly interact with trauma cues to predict craving (ps > .05). Among trauma-exposed young adult drinkers, low perceived distress tolerance may influence alternative processes of AUD risk, such as susceptibility to conditioned craving responses to alcohol.

Supplemental Material for Emotion Regulation Repertoires in Trauma-Exposed College Students: Associations With PTSD Symptoms, Emotional Awareness, and Emotional Clarity

Supplemental Material for Emotion Regulation Repertoires in Trauma-Exposed College Students: Associations With PTSD Symptoms, Emotional Awareness, and Emotional Clarity

Effects of bodily arousal on desire to drink alcohol among trauma-exposed college students.

Alcohol consumption on college campuses is a major public health concern. Extant literature has identified trauma exposure as a robust risk factor for problematic alcohol use in this at-risk population. However, the mechanisms underlying this association are less well-studied. Research indicates that bodily arousal is a fundamental feature of trauma exposure, and posits that internal stimuli (e.g., heart pounding) at the time of trauma may manifest into conditioned cues that can trigger posttraumatic responding and related symptomatology, including alcohol use. However, past work supporting these assertions has used paradigms purposefully designed to evoke memories of the trauma, making it difficult to ascertain whether the mechanism driving subsequent alcohol craving is the explicit memory cue or the associated bodily arousal. The current study examined whether an implicit, trauma-relevant cue of bodily arousal (via voluntary hyperventilation) - independent of any explicit memory cue - would elicit increased desire to drink among 104 (Mage=20.30; 61.5% female) trauma-exposed undergraduates. Results found no statistically significant difference in change in alcohol craving between the hyperventilation and control tasks. However, secondary analyses indicated that trauma type (i.e., interpersonal/non-interpersonal) may play an influential role in this relationship. More specifically, individuals reporting interpersonal trauma as their most traumatic event evidenced a significantly greater increase in desire to drink following hyperventilation compared to the non-interpersonal index trauma group. Generally, these findings suggest that bodily arousal may only serve as an implicit, trauma-relevant interoceptive cue that increases desire to drink within a specific subset of trauma-exposed college students (i.e., individuals indexing interpersonal trauma). Replication and extension are needed to further understand the influence of bodily arousal on subsequent alcohol use behavior, which will be critical to PTSD-alcohol use modeling and, ultimately, help in informing prevention- and treatment-oriented intervention efforts aimed at reducing problematic alcohol use on college campuses.

PTSD symptoms, emotion regulation difficulties, and family functioning among trauma-exposed college students

PTSD symptoms, emotion regulation difficulties, and family functioning among trauma-exposed college students

The Tension Between Cognitive and Regulatory Flexibility and Their Associations With Current and Lifetime PTSD Symptoms.

In recent years, researchers have tried to unpack the meaning of the term flexibility and test how different constructs of flexibility are associated with various psychopathologies. For example, it is apparent that high levels of flexibility allow individuals to adaptively cope and avoid psychopathology following traumatic events, but the precise nature of this flexibility is ambiguous. In this study we focus on two central constructs: cognitive flexibility – the ability to recognize and implement possible responses to a situation– and regulatory flexibility – the ability to modulate emotional expression and experience across situations. We aim to explore the connection between cognitive and regulatory flexibility and evaluate their relative effect on PTSD symptoms. Trauma-exposed college students (N = 109, M age = 25.31, SD = 4.59) were assessed for cognitive and regulatory flexibility and current and lifetime PTSD symptoms. We predicted and found a relatively weak, yet significant, overlap between participants’ cognitive and regulatory flexibility. Importantly, while both cognitive and regulatory flexibility were associated with lifetime PTSD symptoms, only cognitive flexibility was associated with current PTSD symptoms. The findings illuminate the possible value of differentiating between constructs of flexibility in predicting short and long-term effects of traumatic exposure and may pave the ground for developing personalized intervention methods.

Posttraumatic stress and risky sex in trauma-exposed college students: the role of personality dispositions toward impulsive behavior

Objectives: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been linked to risky sexual behavior (RSB). However, little is known regarding the role of impulsivity in this relation among college students. Participants: The present study examined the moderating role of impulsivity dispositions on the relation between PTSD symptoms and past-year RSB in a sample of 221 trauma-exposed undergraduate students (77.4% female). Results: Two separate negative binomial regression models examined each impulsivity disposition’s unique moderating effect on the association between PTSD symptoms and high risk/casual sex. In the high risk model, significant interactions were found for the urgency dispositions, (lack of) premeditation and (lack of) perseverance, though the pattern of these relations differed across these dispositions. Only positive main effects for negative urgency and (lack of) premeditation emerged in the casual sex model. Conclusions: The present study expands on the limited literature on the role of impulsivity in the relation between PTSD and RSB in trauma-exposed college students.

The association between distress tolerance and eating expectancies among trauma-exposed college students with obesity

Objective Obesity is a significant health concern among college populations, and trauma-exposed students are particularly at risk for behaviors associated with weight gain. There is need for further understanding of factors that may contribute to increased obesity among this population. Participants: Participants included 139 trauma-exposed college students with obesity (76.3% females; M age = 25.4 years, SD = 8.07). Method: The current cross-sectional study examined distress tolerance in terms of expectancies of eating to help manage negative affect and to lead to feeling out of control among trauma-exposed college students with obesity. Results: Results indicated that lower perceived distress tolerance was associated with greater expectancies of eating to help manage negative affect and to lead to feeling out of control. Conclusions: These findings suggest that distress tolerance may be a clinically significant target for treatment in order to better understand and treat expectancies of eating among trauma-exposed college students with obesity.

Decreasing perceived and academic stress through emotion regulation and nonjudging with trauma-exposed college students.

Decreasing perceived and academic stress through emotion regulation and nonjudging with trauma-exposed college students.

Fatigue severity and emotion dysregulation: roles in mental health among trauma exposed college students

ABSTRACT Background: There is increased recognition that traumatic events are a common experience among college students, and such events have shown to be associated with negative mental health outcomes and poorer well-being among this population. Although some work has focused on the relation between trauma exposure and mental health among college students, little work has explored the role of individual difference in fatigue severity within this group. Purpose: Therefore, the current study sought to address this gap in the existing literature by examining the explanatory role of fatigue severity in terms of anxiety/depression and post-traumatic stress among trauma exposed college students. Further, the mechanistic role of emotion dysregulation was evaluated as a possible factor that may underlie the relation between fatigue severity and mental health. Method: Seven hundred and thirty trauma-exposed college students were included in the present study (78.6% female, M age = 22.59 years, SD = 5.48; 55.3% racial minority). Results: Results revealed that individual differences in fatigue severity had a significant indirect effect on the studied internalizing symptoms through emotion dysregulation. Conclusion: These novel findings suggest future work should continue to explore emotion dysregulation in the association between fatigue severity and internalizing symptoms among trauma-exposed college students.

Somatic burden and perceived cognitive problems in trauma-exposed adults with posttraumatic stress symptoms or pain.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with somatic and cognitive changes, which may be magnified when accompanied by persistent pain. The mechanisms of somatic sensation processing may extend to cognitive symptoms, revealing a potential generalization of impairment across cognitive and somatic domains in PTSD. We hypothesized that somatic burden would mediate relationships between PTSD, pain, and perceived cognitive impairment. Two samples-360 trauma-exposed college students and 268 mechanical Turk users-completed self-report measures. Both samples revealed similar findings. There was a significant indirect effect of PTSD and pain on perceived cognitive problems through somatic burden. There remained a direct effect of PTSD symptoms. These findings indicate that in trauma-exposed samples with pain, somatic burden rather than pain severity accounts for perceived cognitive problems. High somatic burden may reflect an underlying appraisal about somatic cues, which extend in part to interpretation of cognitive cues.