People can experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) without having been directly involved in the traumatic event, but by exhaustively following media coverage, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Researchers surveyed approximately 4,500 Americans two to four weeks after the Boston Marathon bombings last April, and found that watching TV coverage of the event for at least six hours per day (as well as other forms of exposure, such as online videos and articles) was the single biggest predictor of PTSD -- more than actually having been at the race.
"While direct exposure, of course, had an impact, this media exposure was an even stronger predictor of acute stress than was direct exposure," Roxane Cohen Silver, a professor of psychology and social behavior at the University of California-Irvine, told USA Today.
The findings don't necessarily mean that following a devastating event like the marathon bombings or Sept. 11 will lead to PTSD, but it does mean that those predisposed to the disorder -- such as those with a mental illness or those who've experienced trauma before -- are more likely to engage in 24/7 media coverage, according to the LA Times. Initially, seeking more information about an event could actually help vulnerable individuals cope, but beyond a certain point, the behavior can exacerbate their tendencies.
"People who are most distressed in the aftermath of such an event are probably more likely to engage media coverage as a way of coping with the experience," the researchers wrote. "Although this may be beneficial initially, over time the repeated media-based re-exposures may contribute to a self-perpetuating cycle of distress."
Overall, 4.5 percent of survey responders reported symptoms fitting the minimum threshold of PTSD, according to the LA Times.
The researchers had similar results following the Sept. 11 and the Sandy Hook shootings, but not after Super Storm Sandy.
