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Cited by 41Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchMedia Studies and CommunicationMemory, Trauma, and Commemoration

Is Viewing Mass Trauma Television Coverage Associated With Trauma Reactions in Adults and Youth? A Meta‐Analytic Review

Pfefferbaum, Betty, Nitiéma, Pascal, Newman, Elana·2019·Journal of Traumatic Stress
DOI 10.1002/jts.22391
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Abstract

This study presents the findings of meta‐analyses examining the association between viewing mass trauma television coverage and posttraumatic stress (PTS) outcomes as well as acute stress reactions (ASR) among adults and youth. A literature search identified 43 ( N = 31,162) studies assessing the association between viewing mass trauma television coverage and PTS and four ( N = 9,083) assessing the association with ASR. The overall size of the association between viewing television coverage and PTS, estimated using a random‐effect model, was small but statistically significant, r = .17, 95% CI [.13, .22]. The moderator analysis examined eight preselected variables: man‐made versus natural trauma, specific incident versus chronic stressor, adult versus youth sample, proximal versus distal event exposure, television only versus combined media form, specific content in coverage versus no specific content, quantification of media contact using numeric measurement versus subjective measurement versus a binary item, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) versus posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) outcome. The analysis revealed a statistically significant moderation effect for the quantification of media contact (numeric vs. subjective vs. binary) only, which accounted for 19% of the observed heterogeneity. With a summary estimate of r = .26, 95% CI [.06, .44], the analysis of the ASR studies corroborated the PTS findings. The results suggest that clinicians and public health practitioners should discuss mass trauma television viewing with their patients and with the public. Limitations of the extant research are discussed.

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  • A large body of previous research has established an association between media exposure and symptoms of posttraumatic stress related to various life-threatening stressors.

    “A large body of previous research has convincingly established the association between media exposure and symptoms of posttraumatic stress related to various life-threatening stressors, such as war conflicts [9,10], terrorism and other acts of mass violence [11-15], natural disasters [16,17], and recently also the COVID-19 pandemic”

    From Impact of Media-Induced Uncertainty on Mental Health: Narrative-Based Perspective. (2025) · cites this paper as [15]

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Authors
Pfefferbaum, B., Nitiéma, P., & Newman, E.
Affiliations
  • University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (US)
  • University of Oklahoma (US)
  • University of Tulsa (US)
Corresponding author
Pfefferbaum, Betty
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Traumatic Stress
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2019-03-26
Volume
32
Issue
2
Pages
175-185
ISSN
  • 0894-9867 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-6598
DOI
10.1002/jts.22391
OpenAlex
W2922916582
Cited by
41
References
62
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 1
FWCI
0.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
  • Journal of Traumatic Stress (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Communication › Media Studies and Communication
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Memory, Trauma, and Commemoration
Keywords
post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress response, media exposure, trauma response, youth, adults, posttraumatic stress symptoms
MeSH terms
Natural Disasters, Age Factors, Humans, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Television, Causality, Mass Casualty Incidents

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