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Abstract

Exposure to graphic television images may exacerbate psychological symptoms in disaster situations. We tested the hypotheses that (1) more frequent viewing of television images of the September 11 terrorist attacks was associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, and that (2) direct exposure to disaster events had an interactive effect with media viewing. We recruited 1,008 adult residents of the borough of Manhattan in New York City through a random-digit-dial telephone survey conducted between October 16 and November 15, 2001. Respondents who repeatedly saw "people falling or jumping from the towers of the World Trade Center" had higher prevalence of PTSD (17.4%) and depression (14.7%) than those who did not (6.2% and 5.3%, respectively). Among respondents who were directly affected by the attacks (e.g., had a friend killed), those who watched this television image frequently were more likely to have PTSD and depression than those who did not. Among respondents not directly affected by the attacks, prevalence of PTSD and depression was not associated with frequency of television image viewing. Specific disaster-related television images were associated with PTSD and depression among persons who were directly exposed to a disaster. Future research should address causal directionality of this association.
... Given the important role assumed by the media in the 21 st century (namely the television and social networks), which is even more visible in traumatic events such as armed conflicts and the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of studies on the impact that the images and the news transmitted may have on the mental health of people not directly exposed to those events has significantly increased. The greatest development in studies within this area occurred after the September 11 attacks in the United States of America, where a positive correlation was found between the number of hours spent watching the news and the development of depressive symptoms and post-traumatic stress [8][9][10] . Also, a 2014 study carried out in the Gaza Strip after one of the periods in which more missiles were launched into the territory showed that, at that time, there was not only an increase in news consumption, but also a positive relationship between the time spent viewing the news and viewers' development of anxiety symptoms 11 . ...
... The sample from the 97 participants had a median age of 43 years [39-46], 67.1% had secondary school education or higher and 81.4% were of Portuguese nationality. With respect to the children, 59.8% were male, with a median age of 12 years [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. GI accounted for about 46.4% of the sample and GII 53.6% (Table 1). ...
... The public's response is anticipated to be mild to moderate, except for individuals who are directly exposed to "conventional" terrorist attacks (Ayalon and Lahad, 2000;Boscarino et al., 2002;Galea et al., 2002;Silver et al., 2002). Sensationalizing in the media and public authorities' inadequate implementation of specific suggestions can exacerbate reactions (Slone, 2000;Ahern et al., 2002). Regardless of the accuracy of the information, the public may respond severely in the event of "nonconventional" assaults utilizing chemical, (Boscarino et al., 2003;Foa et al., 2005). ...
Chapter
Terrorism significantly impacts people’s physical and mental health, leading to a decline in well-being, catastrophic loss, altered perspectives, and mental health conditions like anxiety and despair. Youth mental health is particularly affected, increasing vulnerability to fear, sadness, post-traumatic stress, and cognitive impairment. Factors such as proximity, susceptibility, and exposure to violence contribute to the immensity of negative impact. Public opinion gets shaped by media content, and vulnerable individuals remain found to be impacted by exposure to secondhand terrorism. Government institutions should increase public knowledge, manageability, and relevance to prepare for bioterrorist strikes. Guidelines should describe the possibility of an attack, its consequences, the minimum personal risk, and the type of threat. Mid-term responses and interventions like identifying intense emotions, providing direction, medications, and cognitive behavioral approaches can improve the public’s psychological response. Equivalent access to mental health providers from esteemed associations and the presence of leading mental health professionals and volunteer staff in public meeting spots aid considerably. Public facilities should be there to offer assistance, guidance, and counseling to secondary and tertiary victims. Cultural differences and effective communication of risks are crucial for future events.
... Measures to decrease traumatic media exposure in war times in predisposed individuals may be potentially bene cial for preventing mental health issues, including lowering incidence of PEs (28). Additionally, the public needs to be informed that heavy, prolonged consumption of violent war-related media might likely lead to poorer mental health (90). Media companies might consider warning users before broadcasting violent war images (91). ...
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Background After the 7th of October 2023, millions of individuals across the globe have been facing an unprecedented indirect exposure to war and terror through media coverage. Young people exposed to such early, extensive and repeated war-related media content are at increased risk for detrimental psychological consequences, including the development of psychotic experiences (PEs), particularly when mitigating resources are lacking. This study sought to test the hypothesis that resilience and religiosity are involved as moderators in pathways linking early war-related media exposure and PEs in community emerging adults. Method This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted two to four weeks following the start of Israel's war on Gaza on the 7th of October 2023. Young adults from the general population of Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, and Tunisia (N = 2424) took part in the study through an online survey. Results The interaction war-related media exposure by resilience was significantly associated with PEs; at low and moderate levels of resilience, more war-related media exposure was significantly associated with higher PEs. This effect was not significant at high levels of resilience. In addition, the interaction war-related media exposure by religiosity was significantly associated with PEs; at low and moderate levels of religiosity, more war-related media exposure was significantly associated with higher PEs. This effect was not significant at high levels of religiosity. Conclusion Results suggest that individual’s high levels of resilience and religiosity could play a significant role in mitigating possible negative impact of war-related media exposure on the manifestations of PEs.
... This connection was explained as follows by Wayment (2004) and Mash et al. (2018): viewing media accounts about disaster victims incites viewers to identify with them, and this perceived similarity to the victims potentially increases PD. Moreover, experimental evidence based on the trauma film paradigm, which corroborated that viewing disturbing images can elicit intrusive thoughts, images, and memories, as well as negative moods (Holmes & Bourne, 2008;James et al., 2016), provided the basis for recommendations to limit exposure to media coverage in times of disaster for better mental health (Ahern et al., 2002;Bernstein et al., 2007;Holman et al., 2014). ...
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This article examines several variables related to the effect of the World Trade Center tragedy and the extent of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experienced by participants. The symptoms endured by those directly involved and those who experienced it vicariously were examined. The older versus the younger subjects’ response to the stres-sor was also explored as well as the response of female and male participants. The findings support the response to the event as similar for those watching on television and those at the scene. Overall, both men and women responded similarly and older respondents had more symptomotology than the younger ones, particularly older males. The implications for mental health practitioners are discussed.
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