There’s a chance that your College student has developed PTSD because of the 2016 election. This is according to a study that was led Melissa Hagen, an assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University. The results were published in the Journal of American College Health on October 22, 2018.

The title of the study is: “Event-related clinical distress in college students: Responses to the 2016 U.S. Presidential election.” The study examined the prevalence and demographic correlations of clinically significant election-related avoidance and intrusion symptoms among College Students 2-3 months after the 2016 election. There were 729 participants.

The study involved college students who were attending a large public university, who were surveyed in January and February of 2017. The researchers found that one out of four college students met the criteria for clinically significant symptoms related to the election.

The researchers concluded that the high level of event-related distress is concerning because elevated symptoms of event-related stress are predictive of future distress and subsequent PTSD diagnoses.

The Mayo Clinic defines Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as: “a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event – either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.”

What does this mean for parents of college students who have PTDS symptoms due to the 2016 election? The first thing to know is that women, racial minorities, people from working and lower-middle social classes, Democrats, non-Christians, and sexual minorities reported significantly more election-related distress. Your college student may be part of some of those groups.

This is not simply about the results of the 2016 election. These college students are experiencing strong feelings of helplessness and fear. They may have intrusive thoughts that interfere with their lives. Or, they are avoiding talking about their feelings, and may be afraid to participate or pay attention to elections.

A key point comes from Melissa Hagen, who led the study: “It would be wrong to turn to that person and say, ‘toughen up.’” The Anxiety and Depression Association of America has advice for parents of children that have PTSD.

Related Articles at Families.com:

* Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: What causes it?

* Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Diagnostic Criteria

* Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Treatment Options