A latent class analysis of trauma based on a nationally representative sample of US adolescents

Purpose Traumatic events in adolescence rarely occur in isolation. Multiple traumatic experiences are prevalent, diverse and a well-established risk factor for mental health disorders. The aim of this study was to explore and explain the heterogeneity in trauma profiles in a nationally representative sample of US adolescents. Method Using latent class analysis, data on 10,123 adolescents aged between 13 and 18 from the National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement were examined. In addition, the relationships between the emergent classes and demographic and clinical variables were explored. Results A four-class solution was the best fit of adolescent trauma patterns, with classes labelled as low risk, sexual assault risk, non-sexual risk and high risk. When compared to the low risk class, those in the other classes were significantly more likely not to live with either biological parent, display symptoms indicative of mood and anxiety disorders, and to have higher rates of disorder comorbidity. Conclusions This provides evidence of four distinct groups of adolescents who have experienced a variety of traumas. Evidence demonstrates the increased risk of adolescents with a history of trauma meeting the diagnostic criteria for not only individual disorders but also comorbidity across disorde

Walking the Talk: Moving Indigenous Studies from the Classroom to the Community

In this session students will showcase their final assignments from the course Anthropology 4050: Canadian Status/Treaty Indian Reserve Communities. Throughout the course we have discussed the complexities of the history of the reserve system in Canada, the nuances of the Treaty process, the rigidity of the Indian Act, the traumas of residential schools and lived implications of forced relocations on Indigenous communities. We have examined how colonial relations are spatialized and how this spacialization translates into lived social relations. This showcase represents our desire to share what we have learned and why it matters with our TRU community in the hopes of nurturing a space of understanding, compassion, and mutually respectful conversation