Disaster Media Effects: A Systematic Review and Synthesis Based on the Differential Susceptibility to Media Effects Model
Abstract
Natural and human-caused disasters receive extensive media coverage that often includes images, video, and descriptions of death, injury, and destruction. Individual exposure to disaster media has been found to be associated with a variety of effects (e.g., mental health reactions) among children and adults in numerous studies. Despite evidence of disaster media effects, the literature is not well organized. To improve integration, we conducted a systematic review and used the Differential Susceptibility to Media Effects Model (DSMM) to organize results. We analyzed 66 studies, representing 78,643 participants, and found that the disaster media effects literature is built upon the theory of psychological trauma, that the role of uncertainty and social aspects of disaster media effects are understudied, and that transactional disaster media effect studies are nonexistent. Our analysis also indicates that adding a contextual category to the DSMM model is beneficial in synthesizing media effects. Opportunities for future research are discussed.
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Indirect exposure is associated with stress symptoms and other psychopathologies comparable to those linked to direct exposure.
“Recent research provided extensive evidence that indirect exposure is associated with stress symptoms and other psychopathologies comparable to those linked to direct exposure [13,16,23-27].”
From Impact of Media-Induced Uncertainty on Mental Health: Narrative-Based Perspective. (2025) · cites this paper as [27]
The pattern of extensive media exposure perpetuating stress and psychopathology is particularly characteristic of social media use.
“and this pattern is particularly characteristic of the use of social media [27,74,142-145].”
From Impact of Media-Induced Uncertainty on Mental Health: Narrative-Based Perspective. (2025) · cites this paper as [27]
People in uncertain situations, such as disaster events or pandemics, seek information via media to alleviate negative feelings.
“a substantial body of research indeed confirms that people in uncertain situations, such as disaster events or pandemics, seek information via media to alleviate negative feelings”
From Impact of Media-Induced Uncertainty on Mental Health: Narrative-Based Perspective. (2025) · cites this paper as [27]
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References 64 · Cited by 63
- Authors
- Houston, J. B., Spialek, M. L., & First, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Missouri (US)
- University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (US)
- Corresponding author
- Houston, J Brian
- Venue
- Journal of Communication
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2018-05-25
- Volume
- 68
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 734-757
- ISSN
- 0021-9916 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-2466
- OpenAlex
- W2804313790
- Cited by
- 63
- References
- 64
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 0.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Communication (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Communication › Public Relations and Crisis Communication
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Media Influence and Health
- Keywords
- psychological trauma, media exposure, uncertainty, contextual factors, mental health outcomes
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