75 74 Chapter Five: Supporting Students with Mental Health Difficulties Chapter Five: Supporting Students with Mental Health Difficulties Trauma/Crisis Trauma can occur when a stressful and usually unexpected event causes significant psychological distress, leading to acute stress reactions, adjustment difficulties, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other anxiety related conditions. Potentially traumatic events vary from life-threatening illnesses, sudden death of a loved one, accident such as car crash, natural disaster, to abusive relationships, sexual assaults, or other interpersonal violence. Research studies suggested that two-thirds of university students had been exposed to traumatic events at some point in their lives (Read, Ouimette, White, Colder, & Farrow, 2011). In addition, university students are also at higher risk for certain types of traumatic events, such as sexual assault. According to the research report released by U.S. Department of Justice (Cullen, Fisher, & Turner, 2000), it was estimated that one in four to five women in the United States would be victim of a sexual assault during their university study. The majority of sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the survivors, and individuals from all gender categories, man, woman, and transgender, can become victims. References Cullen, F., Fisher, B., & Turner, M. (2000). The sexual victimization of college women (NCJ 182369). Retrieved from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/182369.pdf Read, J. P., Ouimette, P., White, J., Colder, C., & Farrow, S. (2011). Rates of DSM-IV-TR trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder among newly matriculated college students. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 3, 148-156. “Trauma can occur when a stressful and usually unexpected event causes significant psychological distress, leading to acute stress reactions, adjustment difficulties, PTSD or other anxiety related conditions.” e.g. e.g. e.g. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS • Shock, confusion, disbelief or denial • Recurrent thoughts of the traumatic events, in the form of intrusive memories, flashbacks or nightmares • Overly alert and concerns for personal safety fear, loss of control • Intense emotions, such as anger, fear, irritability, hopelessness or despair • Diminished ability to experience or express emotions numbness, detachment • Irrational self-blame, guilt or shame “It wouldn’t have happened if I . . .” • Avoiding triggers of the traumatic incidents • Disruptions of routines of daily life • Social withdrawal or other relationship difficulties • Increased abuse of alcohol or substance • Decline in academic functioning
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