It is estimated that 50%–89% of the United States population is exposed to some type of trauma, such as physical or sexual assault, or witnessing violence or a natural disaster (Kilpatrick et al. 2013; Knipscheer et al. 2020). Trauma exposure can increase the risk of mental health problems, such as post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) (Breslau 2009; Keyes, Hatzenbuehler, and Hasin 2011). Severity varies by trauma type, such as nonsexual assaultive, nonassaultive, and sexual assaultive trauma (Ozer et al. 2003). Individuals exposed to assaultive trauma, in particular, are more likely to develop PTSD (Cisler et al. 2011), highlighting the importance of trauma type in risk for mental health problems.
