Trauma screening in students attending a medical university

Clinicians seldom assess trauma history in patients who seek treatment for psychological problems, yet trauma exposure is often related to psychological distress. Assessing trauma history can provide valuable information for treatment conceptualization and provision, although patients may not spontaneously share their histories because of embarrassment, avoidance, or other concerns. The authors compared 73 students at a southeastern US medical university who sought counseling and psychological services and completed intake paperwork without a trauma screen with 130 students whose intake procedures included trauma screening. They found that (a) patients who were specifically asked about trauma history were more likely to report such events, (b) previous physical assaults with a weapon were related to current psychological distress, and (c) physical assaults with or without a weapon were related to clinically significant psychological distress. These findings suggest that screening for lifetime trauma history should be a standard part of mental health screenings in similar medical university counseling centers.