Alicia P. Peoples
Higher education institutions prioritizing student empowerment and mental well-being call attention to the prevalence of PTSD in American society. As college educators in the United States address the needs of neurodivergent students, such as those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, or other cognitive differences, PTSD is often uncovered. Now, PTSD is widely considered a form of acquired neurodivergence. Awareness and advocacy are essential to delivering relevant student services and fostering a campus culture that is both supportive and affirming.
Pausing to recognize PTSD Awareness Month within collegiate spaces is both meaningful and impactful. It creates opportunities to foster empathy, promote trauma-informed practices, and support the mental health of students, faculty, and staff affected by trauma. College students bring with them trauma caused by abuse, interpersonal violence, oppression, neglect, service-related combat, intense conflict, bullying, harassment, sexual assault, catastrophic occurrences or life-altering events. By acknowledging the realities of PTSD, campuses can cultivate a culture of understanding, healing, and resilience.
Neurodivergent students experience higher rates of PTSD due to increased exposure to trauma and unique vulnerabilities related to their cognitive and sensory processing differences. Sensory processing disorders can heighten sensitivity to environmental stressors, social exclusion, and adverse experiences. These factors, combined with challenges in accessing appropriate mental health care, contribute to a significantly elevated risk of developing PTSD.
Initiatives that address student support needs help to create an ecosystem where all students feel seen, valued, and supported. By fostering proactive, community-wide approaches, higher ed institutions can ensure that support is accessible and responsive to the experiences of the entire student body. This helps reduce the stigma that prevents students from seeking help, counseling, and accommodations — free from fear of judgment, discrimination, or being singled out.
When campuses invest in infrastructure that fosters meaningful connections, they create environments where every student can thrive. The educational experience is enriched through authentic relationships and mutual trust. Building these bridges not only supports academic achievement but also cultivates a sense of belonging and community. Through mentorship, experiential learning, resource fairs and brave space dialogue, campuses can cultivate environments where students are empowered to take initiative, direct change, and contribute meaningfully to their communities and careers.
In this work, we encourage civic involvement. Courageous action is being present, open, mindful and unifying. It is not too late for your campus to leverage this opportunity to broaden the discourse, deepen engagement and foster connections on this topic. Set-up a talk back board. Host an open mic. Schedule an art therapy activity. Distribute journals. The Center for PTSD features a Step UP for PTSD Awareness initiative that anyone can participate in. Participants, pin on a bib, log in 30 minutes of any physical activity during the month of June and post an image tagging The National Center for PTSD. Additionally, June 27 is PTSD Self-Screening Day. The website provides a resource for individual self-screening.
To learn more about PTSD, find additional resources on The National Center for PTSD website and on the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) website.
Alicia P. Peoples is the associate director of the Student Resource & Empowerment Center at Tidewater Community College, as well as an educational consultant and personal development coach.
