Vicarious_trauma_after_viewing_media
Over the last fifty years, there has been an increase in the different types of media that are accessible to the public.[1] Most people use online search engines, social media, or other online news outlets to find out what is going on in the world.[2] This increase can lead to people easily viewing negative images and stories about traumatic events that they would not have been exposed to otherwise. One thing to consider is how the dissemination of this information may be impacting the mental health of people who identify with the victims of the violence they hear and see through the media. The viewing of these traumatic videos and stories can lead to the vicarious traumatization of the viewers.[3][4][5]
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Vicarious trauma develops after an individual learns or hears about someone else experiencing a traumatic event. The information they hear may have a negative psychological impact on the person even though they did not experience the trauma themselves.[6] Research on vicarious trauma has focused on how mental health providers, medical workers, and first responders respond to the trauma they hear about in their everyday work experiences.[6][7] While the person does not directly experience the trauma, they have symptoms like an individual diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.[6] Some of those symptoms include hypervigilance, difficulties sleeping, changes in how they view the world and themselves, and intrusive images of the trauma.[7]