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War, media, and emotion: Associations between posttraumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, and emotion regulation
Yael Enav1, Noga Shiffman2, Ido Lurie3
1Department of Counseling and Human Development, University of Haifa.
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. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).
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