The Impact of Learned Helplessness on Social Media-Induced Secondary Traumatic Stress: Mediation by Religious Coping and Moderation by Quality of Life

Abstract

The use of social media, which has rapidly increased in recent years, directly or indirectly affects people's mental health. This study aims to determine the effect of learned helplessness (LH) on social media-induced secondary traumatic stress (STS-SM), and the role of quality of life and religious coping in this relationship in Türkiye. This cross-sectional study sample consisted of 397 Turkish Muslim adults. Results revealed significant links among LH, negative religious coping (NRC), and quality of life, with STS-SM. Moderation analyses revealed that perceived high quality of life moderated the positive effect of LH on STS-SM, while mediation analyses revealed that NRC partially mediated this relationship. The results support that disturbing content on social media can trigger traumatic stress, especially in individuals who feel helpless, and turn to negative religious coping, but the perceived high quality of life has a buffering effect.

Keywords

• Secondary traumatic stress
• social media
• learned helplessness
• religious coping
• quality of life

Öğrenilmiş Çaresizliğin Sosyal Medya Kaynaklı İkincil Travmatik Stres Üzerindeki Etkisi: Dini Başa Çıkmanın Aracı ve Yaşam Kalitesinin Düzenleyici Rolü

Abstract

Son yıllarda hızla artan sosyal medya kullanımı, doğrudan ya da dolaylı olarak insanların ruh sağlığını etkilemektedir. Bu çalışma, öğrenilmiş çaresizliğin (ÖÇ) sosyal medya kaynaklı ikincil travmatik stres (SM-İTS) üzerindeki etkisini ve bu ilişkide yaşam kalitesi ile dini başa çıkmanın rolünü Türkiye bağlamında incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Kesitsel tarama desenli bu çalışmanın örneklemini 397 Türk Müslüman yetişkin oluşturmuştur. Sonuçlar, ÖÇ ile negatif dini başa çıkma (NDB) ve yaşam kalitesi ile SM-İTS arasında anlamlı ilişkiler olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Düzenleyici analizler, algılanan yüksek yaşam kalitesinin, ÖÇ’nin SM-İTS üzerindeki pozitif etkisini zayıflattığını göstermiştir; aracılık analizleri ise NDB’nin bu ilişkiye kısmen aracılık ettiğini ortaya koymuştur. Bulgular, sosyal medyada karşılaşılan rahatsız edici içeriklerin özellikle kendini çaresiz hisseden bireylerde travmatik stresi tetikleyebileceğini ve bu bireylerin negatif dini başa çıkma yöntemlerine yönelebildiklerini, ancak algılanan yüksek yaşam kalitesinin bu etkiyi hafifleten bir rol oynadığını desteklemektedir.

Keywords

• İkincil travmatik stres
• sosyal medya
• öğrenilmiş çaresizlik
• dini başa çıkma
• yaşam kalitesi

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