Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms among Journalists Repeatedly Covering COVID-19 News
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Participants
3.2. Group Differences
3.3. Predictors
3.4. Protective Factors
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Repeatedly Covering COVID-19 Stories (n = 61) | Not Covering COVID-19 Stories (n = 59) | Total (n = 120) | F/X2 | p | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age | ||||||||
Mean (SD) | 39.44 | (10.74) | 42.49 | (11.72) | 40.94 | (11.29) | F(1,119) = 2.21 | 0.140 |
Gender | X2(1, n = 120) = 5.65 | 0.017 | ||||||
Male | 19 | 31.1% | 31 | 52.5% | 50 | 41.7% | ||
Female | 42 | 68.9% | 28 | 47.5% | 70 | 58.3% | ||
Marital Status | X2(6, n = 120) = 10.92 | 0.091 | ||||||
Single | 15 | 24.6% | 8 | 13.6% | 23 | 19.2% | ||
Married | 23 | 37.7% | 31 | 52.5% | 54 | 45% | ||
Divorced/Separated | 7 | 11.5% | 1 | 1.7% | 8 | 6.7% | ||
Widowed | 1 | 1.6% | 0 | 0% | 1 | 0.8% | ||
Civil partnership | 1 | 1.6% | 1 | 1.7% | 2 | 1.7% | ||
Long-term partner | 14 | 23% | 16 | 27.1% | 30 | 25% | ||
Prefer not to say | 0 | 0% | 2 | 3.4% | 2 | 1.7% | ||
Ethnicity | X2(1, n = 120) = 0.91 | 0.339 | ||||||
White British/European | 47 | 77% | 52 | 88.1% | 99 | 82.5% | ||
Black/Indian/Asian/Arab | 14 | 23% | 7 | 11.9% | 21 | 17.5% | ||
Mental Health | ||||||||
Received diagnosis | 24 | 39.2% | 17 | 28.8% | 41 | 34.2% | X2(1, n = 120) = 1.48 | 0.224 |
Received treatment | 23 | 37.7% | 17 | 28.8% | 40 | 33.3% | X2(1, n = 120) = 0.73 | 0.394 |
Type of Employment | X2(1, n = 120) = 5.58 | 0.018 | ||||||
Freelance | 11 | 18% | 22 | 37.3% | 33 | 27.5% | ||
Organisation | 50 | 82% | 37 | 62.7% | 87 | 72.5% | ||
Job Title | X2(7, n = 120) = 7.43 | 0.386 | ||||||
Broadcast journalist | 14 | 23% | 9 | 15.3% | 23 | 19.2% | ||
Video journalist | 1 | 1.6% | 4 | 6.8% | 5 | 4.2% | ||
Reporter | 26 | 42.6% | 21 | 35.6% | 47 | 39.2% | ||
Editor | 12 | 19.7% | 13 | 22% | 25 | 20.8% | ||
Producer | 4 | 6.6% | 2 | 3.4% | 6 | 5% | ||
Camera operator | 0 | 0% | 1 | 1.7% | 1 | 0.8% | ||
Other | 4 | 6.6% | 9 | 15.6% | 13 | 10.8% | ||
Years in role | F(1,119) = 0.50 | 0.483 | ||||||
Mean (SD) | 7.69 | (6.81) | 8.66 | (8.15) | 8.17 | (7.48) | ||
Trauma Exposure (no. of lifetime incidents) | F(1,119) = 5.94 | 0.016 | ||||||
Mean (SD) | 11.57 | (5.62) | 8.89 | (6.12) | 10.30 | (5.98) | ||
COVID-19 Impact | ||||||||
Had COVID-19 | 5 | 8.2% | 2 | 3.4% | 7 | 5.8% | X2(1, n = 120) = 1.26 | 0.261 |
Family/Friend had COVID-19 | 20 | 32.8% | 22 | 37.3% | 42 | 35% | X2(1, n = 120) = 0.27 | 0.605 |
Financial difficulties due to COVID-19 | 12 | 19.7% | 13 | 22% | 25 | 20.8% | X2(1, n = 120) = 0.10 | 0.750 |
Family difficulties due to COVID-19 | 19 | 31.1% | 15 | 25.4% | 34 | 28.3% | X2(1, n = 120) = 0.48 | 0.487 |
Working longer hours | 35 | 57.4% | 23 | 39% | 58 | 48.3% | X2(1, n = 120) = 4.06 | 0.044 |
Interviewed people with COVID-19 | 24 | 39.3% | 8 | 13.6% | 32 | 26.7% | X2(1, n = 120) = 10.20 | 0.001 |
Seen people suffer with COVID-19 | 18 | 29.5% | 6 | 10.2% | 24 | 20% | X2(1, n = 120) = 7.01 | 0.008 |
Symptom Measures Mean (SD) | ||||||||
PCL-5 | 21.34 | (18.20) | 12.26 | (12.41) | - | - | F(1,90) = 7.50 | 0.007 |
PHQ-9 | 7.86 | (5.54) | 6.03 | (4.99) | - | - | F(1,80) = 2.47 | 0.120 |
GHQ-12 | 17.70 | (5.91) | 15.09 | (6.54) | - | - | F(1,116) = 5.20 | 0.024 |
Process Measures Mean (SD) | ||||||||
RIQ total score | 21.65 | (10.40) | 16.14 | (8.87) | - | - | F(1,89) = 7.26 | 0.008 |
Rumination | 8.37 | (5.97) | 5.19 | (4.61) | - | - | F(1,89) = 7.87 | 0.006 |
Suppression | 9.29 | (4.20) | 8.12 | (3.76) | - | - | F(1,89) = 1.92 | 0.169 |
Numbing | 4.00 | (3.12) | 2.83 | (2.55) | - | - | F(1,89) = 3.63 | 0.060 |
b | SE B | ß | p | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Step 1 | ||||
Gender | 5.76 | 3.66 | 0.17 | 0.120 |
Total number of trauma exposures | 0.37 | 0.31 | 0.13 | 0.235 |
Step 2 | ||||
Gender | 3.69 | 2.68 | 0.11 | 0.173 |
Total number of trauma exposures | 0.37 | 0.23 | 0.13 | 0.105 |
Rumination | 1.49 | 0.24 | 0.52 | 0.001 |
Thought Suppression | −0.49 | 0.40 | −0.12 | 0.223 |
Numbing | 1.94 | 0.56 | 0.36 | 0.001 |
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Tyson, G.; Wild, J. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms among Journalists Repeatedly Covering COVID-19 News. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 8536. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168536
Tyson G, Wild J. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms among Journalists Repeatedly Covering COVID-19 News. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(16):8536. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168536
Chicago/Turabian StyleTyson, Gabriella, and Jennifer Wild. 2021. "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms among Journalists Repeatedly Covering COVID-19 News" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 16: 8536. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168536
APA StyleTyson, G., & Wild, J. (2021). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms among Journalists Repeatedly Covering COVID-19 News. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16), 8536. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168536