The severity of perceived stress associated with community violence exposure and its role in future posttraumatic stress: findings from a longitudinal study of U.S. adolescents.

Background: Community violence exposure (CVE) in adolescence is associated with poorer mental health although the situational factors that may impact on this relationship remain relatively unexplored. The present study aimed to investigate if the degree of perceived stress during CVE has an effect on future posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in youth, and if this association differs between females and males.

Methods: Data were analyzed from 760 U.