The impact of fear of COVID-19 on the impact of event and indirect trauma.
Sowon Lee, Hae Ran Kim, Boyoung Kim
PMID 36428065WHAT IT FOUND
In adults who never caught COVID-19, fear of the virus partly explains how media exposure to the pandemic causes indirect trauma.
Clinicians should ask about news consumption and fear levels when patients report trauma symptoms without direct exposure.
Key findings
01Fear of COVID-19 partially mediated the relationship between the impact of the event and indirect trauma, with a significant indirect effect.
02The impact of the event (exposure to pandemic news) was significantly associated with higher levels of indirect trauma.
03Higher fear of COVID-19 was directly associated with higher levels of indirect trauma in the general public.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot prove causation, only association. Participants were recruited voluntarily online, which may bias the sample toward those with higher shock or trauma, or conversely, those more engaged. The survey was conducted in early 2021 in South Korea, so findings may not generalize to other cultures or later phases of the pandemic. There was overlap between the Impact of Event Scale and Indirect Trauma Scale items, which may inflate the observed relationships. The study did not measure specific media channels (e.g., social media vs. TV), so the source of the 'impact' is not pinpointed.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that indirect trauma is caused solely by direct exposure to the virus or traumatic events. This study shows that fear mediated by media exposure is a significant pathway, so clinicians must assess news consumption and fear levels even in patients who have never been infected.