Sense of belonging for college students with PTSD: the role of safety, stigma, and campus climate

Abstract

Objective

This study explored differences in sense of belonging between students who identify as having PTSD and those who do not and then investigated the role of safety, stigma, and campus climate for mental health in this process. Participants: Participants included 162 undergraduates enrolled at United States institutions. Methods: Data were from the 2015–2016 Healthy Minds study. Analysis included an independent samples t-test and hierarchical regression models. Results: Results suggested that students with PTSD experienced less of a sense of belonging on their campus relative to students who do not have PTSD. Our model including safety, stigma, and campus climate explained 50% of the variance in predicting sense of belonging in the PTSD group. Conclusions: Results support the importance of clinicians, staff, and faculty helping students with PTSD to feel an increased sense of safety, reducing stigma for mental health, and improving campus climate for mental health on their campuses.

Keywords:

• College students
•  stress disorder
• sense of belonging
• trauma