In this study we aimed to determine the effect of childhood traumas on hopelessness, smoking and alcohol use in university students and to study the relationships between their sex and familial characteristics.

We applied Hopelessness Scale (HS), The Boratav Depression Screening Scale (BORDEPTA), Social Comparison Scale (SCS), The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Personnel Information Form, respectively to 1.026 students (male: 605, female: 421) in last year of various faculties of Dicle University.

Mean age of students was 23.2±2.1; 47 % of their mothers and 13 % of their fathers were illiterate. Mean scores of scales were: CTQ=71.5±19.9; HS=5.9±4.6; BORDEPTA=7.3±4.7; SCS=80±16.1. Mean score of BORDEPTA scales were higher in females, but mean scores of other scales were higher in males. The rate of every day smokers was 33 % and the rate of alcohol use several times a week was 4 %. Scores of CTQ, HS and BORDEPTA were higher in smokers than non-smokers (r=0.075, p=0.008; r=0.105, p<0.001; r=0.132, p<0.001; respectively); however only BORDEPTA scores were higher in alcohol user students than others (r=0.066, p=0.017). In Stepwise linear regression analysis, the most descriptive variabl of CTQ-total scores was high HS scores in male students and high BORDEPTA scores in females.

Emotional, physical and sexual traumas in childhood maintain their negative effects on last year university students who are about to into life struggle actively. Such experience lead to hopelessness for the future, depressive temperament, negative self perception and inclination to smoking in these students.