Effects of media exposure on adolescents traumatized in a school shooting.
This study analyzes the impact of the media on adolescents traumatized in a school shooting. Participants were trauma-exposed students (n = 231) and comparison students (n = 526), aged 13-19 years. A questionnaire that included the Impact of Event Scale and a 36-item General Health Questionnaire was administered 4 months after the shooting. Being interviewed was associated with higher scores on the Impact of Event Scale (p = .005), but posttraumatic symptoms did not differ between those who refused to be interviewed and those not approached by reporters. Following a higher number of media outlets did not affect symptoms.
Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland. henna.haravuori@thl.fi
Henna
H
Haravuori
Laura
L
Suomalainen
Noora
N
Berg
Olli
O
Kiviruusu
Mauri
M
Marttunen
D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D054527:Mass Casualty Incidents / Q000523:psychology*; D008402:Mass Media; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult