Examining the Effects of Traumatic or Stressful Events Experienced in Childhood and College on the Mental Health of College Students

Background and Purpose

            The aim of this study is to understand how the timing of stressful and traumatic experiences (childhood or during college) is associated with depression and anxiety for undergraduate students in their fourth year. The literature shows that individuals who experience traumatic events in their childhood are at greater risk for mental health challenges later in life, e.g., anxiety, depression or PTSD. Additionally, recent experiences of stressful or traumatic events have a detrimental impact on mental health in adults. We hypothesize that (1) childhood traumatic events and recent stressful life experiences will be significantly associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety, and (2) these relationships will remain significant after accounting for traumatic events experienced during college.

Methods

            This study utilizes a secondary data set of undergraduates at a university in the US mid-Atlantic region, which collected data from students starting in the fall of their first year and then every consecutive spring. This study sample includes fourth year college students (n=1,369). They are traditional students who entered the university at age 18.

            Study variables include traumatic events measured using two timeframes (before entering college and since entering college), recent stressful experiences, and two dependent variables (depression and anxiety). Traumatic events were experiences of natural disasters, physical assaults, sexual assaults, other unwanted sexual experiences or encounters, and transportation accidents. Respondents answered yes/no to each event, creating a score from 0-5. Stressful life events were personal experiences such as financial troubles, relationship problems, or loss of a job. The score was a sum of 12 items and ranges from 0-24. Levels of depression and anxiety were derived from the SCL-90, each consisting of responses to four questions with scores ranging 0-16. Covariates included gender (female or male) and levels of social support (3 items; and range 0-9). Four general linear models were conducted to test our two hypotheses, i.e. two models for each of our outcome variables.

Results

            To test hypothesis one, childhood traumatic events and recent stressful experiences were examined in association with, separately, depression and anxiety and including covariates. Childhood traumatic events was significantly associated with higher levels of depression (B=0.324, SE=0.085, p<0.001) and anxiety (B=0.170, SE=0.071, p<0.05), while recent stressful events was not statistically significant for either outcome. For hypothesis two, we added recent traumatic experiences to our first model. Childhood trauma (B=0.249, SE=0.089, p<0.01) and recent trauma (B=0.241, SE=0.087, p<0.01) were associated with higher levels of depression. For anxiety, only recent trauma (B=0.217, SE=0.073, p<0.01) was associated higher levels of anxiety.

Conclusion and Implications

            Results from this study show the importance of understanding the timing of when traumatic events are experienced in relationship to depression and anxiety. Traumatic events (both in childhood and during college) may have more impact on depression and anxiety than stressful events for college students. Mental health services provided by universities should pay particular attention to the history of trauma that students may bring with them to their university experience, while also continuing to focus on recent experiences of trauma.