Virtual exposure to war in Ukraine: thoughts and emotions of Italian adolescents with emotional difficulties
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13129/2612-4033/0110-3776Abstract
From the date of the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, news of war and its atrocities have pervaded social media. Young people have been immersed for several weeks to a continuous stream of news, true and false, about the progress of the war, with the possibility of viewing often vivid and unfiltered videos and images. Past studies have indicated how media exposure to catastrophic events was associated with negative outcomes for people's psychological health, with consequences such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depressive symptoms. It is therefore relevant, in terms of prevention and structuring awareness inter- ventions, to know what were the most frequent thoughts and emotions of young people in a country outside the conflict, such as Italy. The present study analyzed interviews of thirteen adolescent boys with certain psychological vulnerabilities (high-functioning autism, adhd, specific learning disorders, anxiety symptoms) with respect to the war and the impact the news had on their emotions and thoughts. The results provide a basis for studying adolescents' cognitive and emotional reactions and implementing supportive interventions.
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