Prevalence of types of trauma and posttraumatic stress symptoms in American Muslim communities: A comparison by ethnic group.

American Muslim communities include large immigrant and ethnically diverse populations who may experience compounded stressors and stigma that shape both trauma exposure and willingness to disclose symptoms. This study examined variation in trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms across ethnic subgroups among American Muslims seeking services at a Muslim mental health clinic. Using cross-sectional intake data from 5,843 clients seen between 2019 and 2022, participants completed a trauma exposure checklist (17 trauma types) and the Primary Care PTSD Screen (PC-PTSD). The sample was predominantly South Asian (56.0%) and Arab/Middle Eastern/North African (24.7%), with smaller proportions of European/White American (3.1%) and Latino/Hispanic (1.3%). The most commonly reported traumas were emotional abuse/psychological maltreatment (27.9%) and bullying (21.5%), followed by domestic violence (12.9%), traumatic grief/separation (12.5%), physical abuse/assault (12.2%), and sexual abuse/assault (11.3%); 28.1% reported no trauma exposure. Nearly one third of participants (31.3%) screened positive for probable PTSD (>= 3 PC-PTSD symptoms). Trauma exposure and PTSD symptom distributions differed significantly by ethnicity. Notably, despite representing a small fraction of the sample, European/White and Latino/Hispanic clients showed disproportionately high endorsement of interpersonal trauma (sexual, physical, and emotional abuse) and the highest proportions screening positive for probable PTSD. These findings underscore the importance of disaggregated assessment and culturally responsive trauma services that account for stigma, minority stress, and immigrant-context factors influencing disclosure and help-seeking.