Stress levels among America's college students are soaring, with a new report revealing a significant increase in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD) across campuses nationwide. Led by Yusan Zhai from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the study found a marked rise in PTSD and ASD prevalence in a national sample of U.S. college students. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, showed PTSD rates rose by 4.1 percentage points and ASD diagnoses by 0.5 percentage points between 2017 and 2022. The research team highlighted various triggers for these disorders, including campus shootings, sexual assault, physical violence, and natural disasters. PTSD can cause long-lasting symptoms, while ASD typically affects individuals for a shorter period, ranging from a few days to a month. The study analyzed data from the Healthy Minds study, which monitors the mental health of over 392,000 students from 332 colleges and universities across the United States. The sample was predominantly female (58%). During the study period, 19,349 students (4.9%) were diagnosed with PTSD, and 1,814 (0.5%) with ASD. The prevalence of PTSD increased from 3.4% in 2017-2018 to 7.5% in 2021-2022, while ASD rose from 0.2% to 0.7%. Although the study did not pinpoint specific causes, the researchers suggested that pandemic-related losses, campus shootings, and racial trauma might be contributing factors. The study underscored the escalating mental health challenges faced by college students, aligning with recent research indicating a rise in psychiatric diagnoses. The findings emphasize the urgent need for targeted, trauma-informed prevention and intervention strategies by mental health professionals and policymakers to support affected students, the researchers concluded.