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<p>Witnessing traumatic events is a community-level exposure linked to poor mental health. Among college students, witnessing events such as assault on campus is common yet understudied as a public health concern. This study examines how witnessing potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and students’ behavioral responses—bystanding (not intervening) and upstanding (intervening)—relate to depression risk, and whether prosocial campus climate mitigates this risk. Data were drawn from the 2022–2023 cohort of the Healthy Minds Study, a national sample of U.S. college students (<i>N</i> = 66,474; <i>M</i><sub>age</sub>=21.14 years). Measures included past-year witnessing of on-campus PTEs, past-year bystanding and upstanding, prosocial campus climate, and depression symptoms (PHQ-9), which were dichotomized into elevated risk for at least moderate major depressive disorder (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) versus no elevated risk. Logistic regressions estimated associations among witnessing, behavioral responses, prosocial climate, and depression risk. Nearly 25% of students witnessed one or more past-year on-campus PTEs. Each additional witnessed event was associated with 13% increased odds of elevated depression risk. Bystanding was not significantly associated with depression risk, while each upstanding behavior was linked to 8% increased odds. Each one-point increase in perceived prosocial campus climate was linked to 25% decreased odds of elevated depression risk, regardless of past-year upstanding. Findings highlight the complex mental health correlates of witnessing and responding to campus-level trauma. Prosocial campus climate appears protective at the community level, underscoring the value of community-based strategies to support student mental health in the context of shared traumatic exposures.</p>

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Depression risk among college student witnesses to on-campus potentially traumatic events: the roles of bystanding, upstanding, and prosocial campus climate

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月8日

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  • G. Alice Woolverton,
  • Ritika Rastogi,
  • Chang Zhao,
  • Tiffany Yip,
  • Karestan C. Koenen,
  • Cindy H. Liu

摘要

Witnessing traumatic events is a community-level exposure linked to poor mental health. Among college students, witnessing events such as assault on campus is common yet understudied as a public health concern. This study examines how witnessing potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and students’ behavioral responses—bystanding (not intervening) and upstanding (intervening)—relate to depression risk, and whether prosocial campus climate mitigates this risk. Data were drawn from the 2022–2023 cohort of the Healthy Minds Study, a national sample of U.S. college students (N = 66,474; Mage=21.14 years). Measures included past-year witnessing of on-campus PTEs, past-year bystanding and upstanding, prosocial campus climate, and depression symptoms (PHQ-9), which were dichotomized into elevated risk for at least moderate major depressive disorder (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) versus no elevated risk. Logistic regressions estimated associations among witnessing, behavioral responses, prosocial climate, and depression risk. Nearly 25% of students witnessed one or more past-year on-campus PTEs. Each additional witnessed event was associated with 13% increased odds of elevated depression risk. Bystanding was not significantly associated with depression risk, while each upstanding behavior was linked to 8% increased odds. Each one-point increase in perceived prosocial campus climate was linked to 25% decreased odds of elevated depression risk, regardless of past-year upstanding. Findings highlight the complex mental health correlates of witnessing and responding to campus-level trauma. Prosocial campus climate appears protective at the community level, underscoring the value of community-based strategies to support student mental health in the context of shared traumatic exposures.