Terror attack footage 'causes brain trauma'
Watching footage of terrorist attacks and their aftermath on television can alter the structure of the brain, experts said today.
Broadcasters who repeatedly screened incidents such as the Twin Towers attacks and the aftermath of the London bombings were playing into the hands of extremists by harming their audience, a psychiatric conference was told.
New research has shown prolonged anxiety causes a growth of the amygdala, the part of the brain that processes the basic emotions of fear, anger and anxiety.
This can lead to long-term post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the annual meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Glasgow heard.
Dr Joan Anzia, professor of psychiatry at Northwestern University in Chicago, told delegates: “TV companies which screen disaster footage to boost ratings should examine their consciences, as they are causing harm to their audiences.
“We already know that some people have an extra-sensitive amygdala, making them more likely to react instinctively and to be naturally more fearful and anxious.
“However, chronic stress, which is provoked by viewing repeated visual images of natural disasters and terrorist attacks, enhances the size and sensitivity of the amygdala – increasing the potential to feel fear and anxiety, and eventually PTSD.”
The conference heard this increased sense of fear and anxiety was one of the key aims of terrorists.
Dr Kenneth Busch, consultant to the US Department of Health and Human Services, told delegates: “Their ultimate tool is not chemical, biological, nuclear or radiological, but psychological.
“They want to destroy people’s sense of security. Terrorists know that when they kill or maim a thousand people, millions more will have their lives wrecked by fear.”
Prof Anzia said news broadcasters should balance the need to inform their audiences with the responsibility to avoid unnecessary repetition of shocking images.
“It is important that people know what is happening and have concise, accurate information,” she said.
“But it is helpful to eliminate or reduce visual or auditory reminders of the stressor, which can trigger the amygdala to over-react.”
