Examining the Associations among Trauma Type, Symptom Severity, Race, Gender, and Help-Seeking Behaviors

The American Psychiatric Association (2013) defines a traumatic event as “exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence” (p. 271) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) literature has explored whether specific trauma types are more relevant to demographic variables such as race and gender. The present study aimed to add to existing trauma literature by investigating how trauma type interacts with PTSD symptom severity, race, and gender and how those interactions affect intention to engage in help-seeking behaviors. A sample of 226 college-aged participants completed an online, anonymous Qualtrics survey. Results indicated that individuals that have experienced physical (non-sexual) trauma and multiple trauma types and experienced higher PTSD symptom severity showed higher likelihood to engage in help-seeking behaviors. These results suggested that different trauma types may impact an individual’s intention to engage in help-seeking behaviors especially when experiencing higher PTSD symptom severity