War, Media, and Emotion: Associations Between Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Anxiety, and Emotion Regulation

Yael Enav, Noga Shiffman, Ido Lurie, Yael Mayer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Objective: Media coverage of violent conflict significantly impacts individuals’ mental health. On October 7, 2023, a war erupted between Israel and Hamas, leading to pervasive and distressing media coverage. This brief report examines the relationship between media exposure, emotion regulation, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and anxiety during armed political conflict. Method: Random sampling was employed, drawing participants from a representative sample of the Israeli population. Five hundred seventeen adult citizens were recruited through a virtual platform. The sample (N = 517) comprised 260 women (50.3%) and 257 men (49.7%), with a mean age of 40.50 years (SD = 14.55). Results: Cognitive reappraisal was associated with protective effects against media exposure on participants’ PTSS and anxiety levels compared to emotion suppression. However, in cases of intense exposure to violent media, emotion suppression was not linked to greater distress. Conclusions: Emotion regulation skills play a role between exposure to violence in media and the development of PTSS and anxiety during times of war. Cognitive reappraisal is associated with a protective effect against media exposure, highlighting the importance of teaching individuals exposed to media during wartime to enhance their cognitive reappraisal skills.

Original languageEnglish
JournalPsychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy
Early online date16 Dec 2024
StateE-pub ahead of print - 16 Dec 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 American Psychological Association

Keywords

  • anxiety
  • emotion regulation
  • media exposure
  • posttraumatic stress symptoms

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology

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