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Screening for Trauma in Early Adolescence: Findings from a Diverse School District

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Abstract

Abundant evidence demonstrates that traumatized adolescents are at increased risk of a host of negative psychoeducational and functional outcomes, but demographic disparities are often seen in access to and use of mental health services and supports. In light of this, the current study examines the prevalence of trauma experiences and traumatic stress in middle school students from a large urban school district serving a high proportion of diverse immigrant and low-income families. Descriptive statistics document the mean reported number of trauma experiences and posttraumatic stress subscale scores by participants’ sociodemographic variables. Inferential statistics report significant differences associated with race/ethnicity, gender, and type of trauma—including exposure as a victim or a witness. Results show complex and significant racial/ethnic group differences in the experience and symptomatology of trauma among the entire screened sample as well as the subset of youth with elevated distress. Furthermore, findings document the predictive value of particular trauma events related to early adolescents’ severity of self-reported traumatic stress. These in-depth findings underscore the need for routine, school-based screening to identify and bring culturally competent, trauma-informed support and interventions to middle school students experiencing traumatic stress.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge Jennifer Yu, Elizabeth Davies-Mercier, and Asha Goldweber for their guidance and feedback on the manuscript; the SRI CEHS staff for their assistance with data collection; and the entire community of students, teachers, and school clinicians who partnered and participated in this research.

Funding

The contents of this research report were developed under a $3.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education (R324A110027). However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

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  1. SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA

    Michelle W. Woodbridge, W. Carl Sumi, S. Patrick Thornton, Nicole Fabrikant & Kristen M. Rouspil

  2. Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Audra K. Langley & Sheryl H. Kataoka

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Woodbridge, M.W., Sumi, W.C., Thornton, S.P. et al. Screening for Trauma in Early Adolescence: Findings from a Diverse School District. School Mental Health 8, 89–105 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-015-9169-5

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