Type of trauma exposure and subsequent mental health Symptoms: Examining the role of social needs in TX-YDSRN youth

Many youth experience potentially traumatic events and may go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For youth who develop PTSD, little research has examined the role of health-related social needs, like housing instability or food insecurity, on its development. The present study aimed to explore the types of traumatic experiences reported at baseline by youth and sought to explore the relationship between post-traumatic stress symptoms and reported health-related social needs. Specifically, it aimed to determine if the effects of health-related social needs differed across demographic variables (e.g., sex assigned at birth, gender, race, ethnicity) and trauma types (i.e., interpersonal and other trauma). Findings demonstrated interpersonal trauma was a significant predictor of PTSD symptoms. While lower interpersonal safety was associated with a greater likelihood of participants reporting interpersonal trauma, it was not related to PTSD symptoms. Our findings highlight the need for clinicians to utilize interventions that specifically target the psychological effects of interpersonal trauma. Furthermore, interventions should consider the wider social context to address factors like interpersonal safety which may play a part in the increased risk of trauma exposure among youth.