Journal of Traumatic Stress, Vol. 7, No. 2, 1994 Prevalence of Traumatic Events and Post-Traumatic Psychological Symptoms in a Nonclinical Sample of College Students Scott Vrana I and Dean Lauterbach 1 The lifetime prevalence of traumatic events and their psychological impact were assessed in 440 undergraduate students. Eighty-four percent of the subjects reported experiencing at least one event of sufficient intensity potentially to elicit Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). One-third of the sample had experienced four or more traumatic events. Subjects who had experienced trauma reported higher levels of depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptomatology than nontraumatized subjects, and these symptoms were more intense in subjects who experienced multiple traumas. Events that were particularly negative in their impact included unwanted sexual experiences and events that subjects reported were too traumatic to discuss openly. Males and females differed in their probability of experiencing some types of events and in the psychological response to certain events. KEY WORDS: college students; post-traumatic stress; research methodology; sex differences; traumatic events. INTRODUCTION Traumatic stress research has generally focused on assessing the psy- chological impact of a specific event. Typically, a group that has experienced a particular traumatic event, such as combat, rape, or a natural disaster, is selected and studied extensively. This research strategy has un- covered valuable information about the psychological effects of these events and variables that mediate the event's impact. Less common is the study 1Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1364. 289 0894-9867/94/0400-0289507.00/0 @ 1994 Plenum Publishing Corporation