Sexual and Non-Sexual Trauma in Relation to PTSD in People with Mild Intellectual Disabilities or Borderline Intellectual Functioning

Introduction Individuals with mild intellectual disabilities or borderline intellectual functioning (MID-BIF) are at heightened risk of exposure to traumatic events, including sexual abuse. While such experiences are known to increase the risk of PTSD in the general population, it remains unclear whether sexual abuse, gender, or age at first trauma are similarly predictive of PTSD symptom severity in individuals with MID-BIF. This study investigates whether sexual abuse, gender, and age at first A-criterion trauma are associated with the frequency of PTSD symptoms in adults with MID-BIF.Method Fifty-eight adults with MID-BIF were categorized into sexual abuse (SA) and non-sexual trauma (non-SA) groups based on the Diagnostic Interview Trauma and Stressors – Intellectual Disability. PTSD symptoms were assessed using the Trauma Screener-ID.Results No significant differences in PTSD symptom frequency were found between the SA and non-SA groups. Furthermore, sexual abuse, gender, and age at first trauma did not significantly predict PTSD symptom frequency.Conclusions Although a high prevalence of sexual abuse was observed among individuals with MID-BIF, it was not associated with increased PTSD symptom frequency. These findings suggest that factors such as poly-victimization may play a more central role in PTSD symptomatology in this population, highlighting the importance of comprehensive, trauma-sensitive assessment and care.