Trauma exposure, suicidality, and reporting in college students.

Objective: Researchers explored the link between individual trauma history, lifetime suicide risk, and reporting of suicidal ideation in undergraduate students. Participants: A sample of 372 undergraduate students (130 males and 242 females) at two institutions completed measures of their personal trauma histories and suicidality in the Fall of 2017.

Methods: Categories of suicidality from the Suicide Behavior Questionnaire were reported, along with odds ratios from multivariate associations of traumatic events with lifetime suicidality.

Results: Suicidality is prevalent in college students. Traumas, such as rape, which are endemic to the college experience are significant risk factors for suicidality. Students reported reaching out for help when suicidal.

Conclusions: Awareness of trauma history will give a more comprehensive understanding of suicide risk among college students. Additionally, suicide safety programs may consider a broad scope for campus preparedness in order to support the large number of students with suicidal ideation that seek help.