The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were watched
on television by millions. Using data from a telephone survey of New
York City residents in January 2002 (N = 2001), we examined the relations
between television watching and probable posttraumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) after the attacks. Among those who were directly
affected by the attacks or had prior traumatic experiences,
watching television was associated with probable PTSD. Experiencing
a peri-event panic reaction accounted for some of the association
between television watching and probable PTSD. Future research directions
are suggested for better understanding the mechanisms behind
observed associations between television watching and PTSD.
Peer Reviewed
http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40284/2/Ahern_Television Watching and Mental Health in_2005.pdf