Media participation and mental health in terrorist attack survivors.

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  • Author(s): Thoresen S;Thoresen S; Jensen TK; Dyb G
  • Source:
    Journal of traumatic stress [J Trauma Stress] 2014 Dec; Vol. 27 (6), pp. 639-46. Date of Electronic Publication: 2014 Nov 21.
  • Publication Type:
    Journal Article
  • Language:
    English
  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: Wiley Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 8809259 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1573-6598 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 08949867 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Trauma Stress Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Publication: 2005- : Hoboken, NJ : Wiley
      Original Publication: New York ; London : Plenum Press, c1988-
    • Subject Terms:
      Social Support*; Mass Media/*statistics & numerical data ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/*etiology ; Survivors/*psychology ; Terrorism/*psychology ; Wounds, Gunshot/*psychology; Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Male ; Mass Casualty Incidents/psychology ; Middle Aged ; Norway/epidemiology ; Regression Analysis ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology ; Wounds, Gunshot/epidemiology ; Young Adult
    • Abstract:
      Terrorism and disasters receive massive media attention, and victims are often approached by reporters. Not much is known about how terror and disaster victims perceive the contact with media and whether such experiences influence mental health. In this study, we describe how positive and negative experiences with media relate to posttraumatic stress (PTS) reactions among survivors of the 2011 Utøya Island terrorist attack in Norway. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 285 survivors (47.0% female and 53.0% male) 14-15 months after the terrorist attack. Most survivors were approached by reporters (94%), and participated in media interviews (88%). The majority of survivors evaluated their media contact and participation as positive, and media participation was unrelated to PTS reactions. Survivors who found media participation distressing had more PTS reactions (quite distressing: B = 0.440, extremely distressing: B = 0.611, p = .004 in adjusted model). Perceiving media participation as distressing was slightly associated with lower levels of social support (r = -.16, p = .013), and regretting media participation was slightly associated with feeling let down (r = .18, p = .004). Reporters should take care when interviewing victims, and clinicians should be aware of media exposure as a potential additional strain on victims.
      (Copyright © 2014 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.)
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20141125 Date Completed: 20150831 Latest Revision: 20141219
    • Publication Date:
      20231215
    • Accession Number:
      10.1002/jts.21971
    • Accession Number:
      25418544