Prevalence, Type, Disclosure, and Severity of Adverse Life Events in College Students

Some information on the prevalence of adverse life experiences is available for the general population and college students, but the extent, nature, and severity of these events is unclear. Participants: The authors recruited undergraduate college students (N = 6,053) from diverse academic settings (public and private schools) and geographic locations. Methods: They examined the prevalence, nature, severity, and disclosure of adverse events, in addition to reports of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology within the sample. Results: Across multiple studies, prevalence rates of adverse events ranged from 55.8% to 84.5%, replicating previous findings in larger samples. In a subset of undergraduate students (n = 97) who the authors interviewed in greater depth, 9% reported symptoms of clinical PTSD and an additional 11% reported subclinical symptoms. Conclusions: Research using college samples for the study of stressful life events is a useful and reasonable strategy. The authors discuss implications for research.

Smyth, J. M., Hockemeyer, J. R., Heron, K. E., Wonderlich, S. A., & Pennebaker, J. W. (2008). Prevalence, Type, Disclosure, and Severity of Adverse Life Events in College Students. Journal of American College Health, 57(1), 69–76. 

Link/Abstract by ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23151338_Prevalence_Type_Disclosure_and_Severity_of_Adverse_Life_Events_in_College_Students