Graduate researchers Minji Lee and Ana Uribe along with Assistant Professor Maria Galano of the Violence & Trauma Across the Lifespan (ViTAL) Lab have published a new study entitled "Racial and ethnic disparities in young adult mental health: Exploring the individual and conjoint effects of ACEs and campus climate" in the Journal of American College Health. This study examines how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and perceptions of campus climate influence posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among university students, with a focus on racial and ethnic disparities.
Using data from 419 students at a large public university in the Northeastern U.S., the study assessed participants' ACEs, perceptions of campus climate, and PTSS severity through self-report measures. Moderation analyses revealed a significant three-way interaction among ACEs, campus climate, and racial/ethnic identity in predicting PTSS. For White students, a positive campus climate buffered the adverse effects of ACEs on PTSS, but this protective effect was not observed for racial and ethnic minority students.
These findings highlight the role of campus climate in shaping mental health outcomes and suggest that existing protective factors may not function equitably across racial and ethnic groups. The study underscores the need for targeted interventions to address mental health disparities among marginalized students.