title: Prevalence, type, disclosure, and severity of adverse life events in college students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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, as well as screening and referral services at universities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA. jmsmyth@syr.edu
authors.forename: Joshua M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Smyth
authors.forename: Jill R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hockemeyer
authors.forename: Kristin E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Heron
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Wonderlich
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Pennebaker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011584:Psychology / Q000193:education; D012572:School Health Services; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015206:Southwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data