Mental- and Physical-Health Effects of Acute Exposure to Media Images of the September 11, 2001, Attacks and the Iraq War

• Published in: Psychological science 2013-09, Vol.24 (9), p.1623-1634
• Main Authors: Silver, Roxane Cohen, Holman, E. Alison, Andersen, Judith Pizarro, Poulin, Michael, McIntosh, Daniel N., Gil-Rivas, Virginia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Biological and medical sciences; Epilepsy, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Graphics; Health; Health Status; Health surveys; Health Surveys - methods; Health Surveys - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Iraq War; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Iraq War-2003; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Media; Media coverage; Medical sciences; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Mental Disorders - psychology; Mental imagery; Mental stress; Middle Aged; Modeling; Personal health; Photic Stimulation - methods; Post traumatic stress disorder; Psychological stress; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; September 11; September 11 Terrorist Attacks - psychology; September 11 Terrorist Attacks - statistics & numerical data; Stress, Psychological - epidemiology; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Symptomatology; Television; Television news; Terrorism; U.S.A; United States - epidemiology; War
• ISSN: 0956-7976; 1467-9280
• DOI: 10.1177/0956797612460406

Millions of people witnessed early, repeated television coverage of the September 11 (9/11), 2001, terrorist attacks and were subsequently exposed to graphic media images of the Iraq War. In the present study, we examined psychological- and physical-health impacts of exposure to these collective traumas. A U.S. national sample (N = 2,189) completed Web-based surveys 1 to 3 weeks after 9/11; a subsample (n = 1,322) also completed surveys at the initiation of the Iraq War. These surveys measured media exposure and acute stress responses. Posttraumatic stress symptoms related to 9/11 and physician-diagnosed health ailments were assessed annually for 3 years. Early 9/11- and Iraq War-related television exposure and frequency of exposure to war images predicted increased posttraumatic stress symptoms 2 to 3 years after 9/11. Exposure to 4 or more hr daily of early 9/11-related television and cumulative acute stress predicted increased incidence of health ailments 2 to 3 years later. These findings suggest that exposure to graphic media images may result in physical and psychological effects previously assumed to require direct trauma exposure.