Work

Consuming hurricane-related media: The protective role of perceived trust.

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: We examined whether perceived trust in media was associated with post-Hurricane Harvey traumatic stress symptoms and tested whether it buffered the association between hurricane-related media exposure and post-Hurricane Harvey traumatic stress symptoms. METHOD: = 748) after Hurricane Harvey (a Category 4 storm) made landfall in 2017. Measures included traumatic stress symptoms, Hurricane Harvey-related media exposure, perceived trust in that media, Hurricane Harvey exposures, and demographics. Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate longitudinal relationships. RESULTS: = .001) postlandfall. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that perceived trust in media may protect against traumatic stress symptoms associated with early media exposure when disaster strikes. Longitudinally, we show that these findings are consistent over time: Trust in disaster-related media coverage was associated with lower traumatic stress symptoms up to 14 months later among Texans who consumed high daily amounts of Hurricane Harvey-related news. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Source: Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice and Policy

DOI: 10.1037/tra0001802

Authors: Kayley D. Estes, Dana Rose Garfin, E. Alison Holman, Roxane Cohen Silver

Institutions: University of California, Irvine, University of California, Los Angeles

Language: English

Topic: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities

Award: G3693628902