Terrorism Media Effects in Youth Exposed to Chronic Threat and Conflict in Israel

Inconclusive Findings in Studies of the Link Between Media Coverage of Mass Trauma and Depression in Children

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This paper reports a review of the empirical research examining the association between mass trauma media contact and depression in children, the factors that may influence the association, and the difficulties encountered in the study of media effects on depression.

RECENT FINDINGS

All of the included studies assessed general population samples. Pre-COVID-19 research focused primarily on television coverage alone or on multiple media forms including television, while COVID-19 media studies examined various media forms including social media. Most studies used cross-sectional design and non-probability sampling. The review revealed inconclusive findings across studies. The study of mass trauma media effects on depression in children is complicated by a number of potential confounding factors and by the relatively high prevalence of depression in the general population. Media contact was a relatively minor consideration among other interests in the extant studies which failed to explore numerous issues that warrant attention in future research.

Intentional mass-casualty incident simulation-based training: A qualitative study into nursing students' perceptions and experiences

BACKGROUND

The number of intentional mass casualty incidents (IMCI) has increased in recent years, and hemorrhage control is one of the important life-saving techniques used in these events.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to understand the perceptions and experiences of nursing students subjected to a simulated intentional mass-casualty incident after receiving a training action within their curriculum, focused on how to respond to active threats and bleeding control.

DESIGN

A qualitative phenomenological study on nursing students (n = 74) enrolled in the Nursing Care for Critical Patients course, facing a simulated IMCI in November 2019.

DATA SOURCES

A total of 7 focus groups were performed, containing 8 to 12 participants each.

FINDINGS

Participants reported a feeling of vulnerability and fear of an IMCI occurrence. Based on this context, the participants reported not knowing how to react to this type of situation, which is why training activities such as this one is seen as a way of improving participants' self-protection and safety. Likewise, a simulated IMCI is considered useful for any citizen and as a training exercise for life-saving techniques, such as hemorrhage control.

CONCLUSIONS

Training on the subject of hemorrhage control using a simulated IMCI setting could increase self-efficacy and self-control, as well as reducing feelings of fear and vulnerability. Such training intervention could be primary prevention measures of an IMCI as well as a sustainable way to train knowledge-transmitting instructors.

Children's Reactions to Media Coverage of War

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This paper reviews research on the effects of contact with war media coverage on psychological outcomes in children.

RECENT FINDINGS

Children's contact with media coverage of war is pervasive and is associated with numerous outcomes and with their parents' reactions. Younger children are more affected by news stories with visual cues, while older children are more distressed by stories about actual threat. There is a strong theoretical basis for developmental influences on children's war media reactions, but the potential influence of other child factors (e.g., gender, socioeconomic disadvantage, prior trauma, culture, religious and political ideology) and aspects of coverage and the context of contact warrant additional attention. More research also is needed to explore differential effects of media coverage on children with different war exposures, the strategies children use to cope with coverage, and the mediating effects of parental involvement and intervention.