Traumatology, Vol 32(3), Sep 2026, 391-401; doi:10.1037/trm0000571
Exposure to disaster media coverage can result in negative mental health reactions, and this relationship has been observed for people directly exposed to a disaster and those who are not. Concurrently, the use of disaster media has been hypothesized to contribute to individual resilience and community resilience, which are protective against negative mental health reactions. Thus, there are possible negative and positive outcomes of disaster media use. The current study examined this dichotomy in adults affected by Hurricane Harvey. We found disaster exposure was related to worse posttraumatic stress (PTS) and depression after a disaster, though disaster media use was only connected to PTS. Additionally, more disaster media consumption was linked to more positive perceptions of community resilience, which was linked to fewer negative mental health reactions in a relationship mediated by individual resilience. Disaster media use was not directly related to individual resilience. From a resilience perspective, disaster media use is associated with perceptions of community resilience, which fosters individual resilience that is, in turn, protective against PTS and depression symptoms following a disaster. Implications and suggestions for future research in this area are suggested. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)