An Investigation of Doomscrolling, Dispositional Hope and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Adults

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent condition among adults. Given the comorbidity of post-traumatic stress disorder with numerous psychological and physical conditions, it is imperative to ascertain the underlying risk and protective factors. This study examined the relationships between post-traumatic stress disorder and doomscrolling (a risk factor) and dispositional hope (a protective factor). The study participants consisted of 419 adults, 299 female (% 71.4) and 120 male (% 28.6). The ages of the participants ranged from 18 to 60. The Personal Information Form, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5, Dispositional Hope Scale, and Doomscrolling Scale were used as data collection tools in the study. Firstly, it was found that female showed more post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms than male. The study also found that post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms differed significantly in terms of daily internet and social media usage duration. Finally, it was found that doomscrolling positively predicted post-traumatic stress disorder; dispositional hope was found to predict post-traumatic stress disorder negatively. These findings help clarify the role of dispositional hope and doomscrolling in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Keywords

• doomscrolling
• post-traumatic stress disorder
• dispositional hope
• adulthood

Yetişkinlerde Doomscrolling, Umut ve Travma Sonrası Stres Bozukluğu Arasındaki İlişkiler

Abstract

Travma sonrası stres bozukluğu yetişkinlerde yaygın şekilde karşılaşılmaktadır. Travma sonrası stres bozukluğu, birçok psikolojik ve fiziksel problemle komorbiditeye sahip olduğu için risk ve koruyucu faktörlerin belirlenmesi önemlidir. Bu araştırmada travma sonrası stres bozukluğuyla doomscrolling (risk faktörü) ve sürekli umut (koruyucu faktör) arasındaki ilişkiler incelenmiştir. Araştırmanın katılımcıları 299 kadın (% 71.4) ve 120 erkek (%28.6) olmak üzere toplam 419 yetişkinden oluşmaktadır. Katılımcıların yaşları 18 ile 60 arasında değişmektedir. Araştırmada veri toplama araçları olarak Kişisel Bilgi Formu, DSM-5 için Travma Sonrası Stres Bozukluğu Kontrol Listesi, Sürekli Umut Ölçeği ve Doomscrolling Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada ilk olarak kadınların erkeklere göre daha fazla travma sonrası stres bozukluğu semptomları gösterdiği bulgusuna ulaşılmıştır. Araştırmada ayrıca günlük internet ve sosyal medya kullanım süresi açısından travma sonrası stres bozukluğu semptomlarının anlamlı düzeyde farklılaştığı bulgusuna ulaşılmıştır. Araştırmada son olarak doomscrollingin travma sonrası stres bozukluğunu pozitif yönde yordadığı; sürekli umutun ise travma sonrası stres bozukluğunu negatif yönde yordadığı bulgusuna ulaşılmıştır. Bu bulgular, travma sonrası stres bozukluğunun ortaya çıkma sürecinde sürekli umut ile doomscrollingin rolünün açıklığa kavuşturulmasına yardımcı olmaktadır.

Keywords

• doomscrolling
• travma sonrası stres bozukluğu
• sürekli umut
• yetişkinlik dönemi

References

1. Alarcon, G. M., Bowling, N. A., & Khazon, S. (2013). Great expectations: A meta-analytic examination of optimism and hope. Personality and Individual Differences, 54(7), 821–827. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.12.004
2. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. (Fifth Edition). Alexandria, VA: American Psychiatric Association,
3. Çakıcı, M., Babayiğit, A., Karaaziz, M., Cumhur, Ö. (2020). Facebook bağımlılığının yaygınlığı ve risk etkenleri: Facebook bağımlılığı depresyon ve TSSB ile ilişkili midir?. Anadolu Psikiyatri Dergisi, 21(3), 245-252. https://doi.org/10.5455/apd.2020101
4. Comstock, C., Platania, J. (2017). The role of media-induced secondary traumatic stress on perceptions of distress. American International Journal of Social Science, 6(1), 1-10.
5. de Vries, G. J., & Olff, M. (2009). The lifetime prevalence of traumatic events and posttraumatic stress disorder in the Netherlands. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 22(4), 259–267. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20429
6. Deniz, M. E., Satici, S. A., Okur, S., & Satici, B. (2023). Relations among self-control, hope, and psychological adjustment: A two-wave longitudinal mediation study. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 64(6), 728–733. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12927
7. Di Corrado D, Muzii B, Magnano P, Coco M, La Paglia R, Maldonato NM. (2022). The Moderated Mediating Effect of Hope, Self-Efficacy and Resilience in the Relationship between Post-Traumatic Growth and Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Healthcare, 10(6), 1091. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10061091
8. Ditlevsen, D.N., Elklit, A. (2012). Gender, trauma type, and PTSD prevalence: a re-analysis of 18 nordic convenience samples. Annals of General Psychiatry, 11(26) https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-859X-11-26

9. Edmondson, D., & Cohen, B.E. (2013). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Cardiovascular Disease. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 55(6), 548-556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2013.03.004
10. Eren, İ., & Akoğlu, B. (2024). Deprem yaşayan bireylerde travma sonrası stres bozukluğu ile yaşam anlamı arasındaki ilişkide umut duygusunun aracı rolü. Sağlık ve Yaşam Bilimleri Dergisi, 6(1), 23–31. https://doi.org/10.33308/2687248X.202461325
11. Evli, M., & Şimşek, N. (2022). The effect of COVID-19 uncertainty on internet addiction, happiness and life satisfaction in adolescents. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 41, 20–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2022.07.008
12. Evren, B., Dalbudak, E., Evren, C., Ozen, S. (2019). The relationship of internet addiction symptom severity with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and impulsivity among Turkish university students. Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 29(1), 83-89. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750573.2018.1505422
13. Fusco, R.A., Yuan, Y., Lee, H., & Newhill, C.E. (2021). Trauma, sleep and mental health problems in low-ıncome young adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(3), 1145. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031145
14. Gallagher, M.W., Long, L.J., & Phillips, C.A. (2020). Hope, optimism, self-efficacy, and posttraumatic stress disorder: A meta-analytic review of the protective effects of positive expectancies. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 76(3), 329–355. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22882
15. Gavranidou, M., & Rosner, R. (2003). The weaker sex? Gender and post-traumatic stress disorder. Depression and Anxiety, 17(3), 130–139. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.10103
16. Gogos, A., Ney, L. J., Seymour, N., Van Rheenen, T. E., & Felmingham, K. L. (2019). Sex differences in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder: Are gonadal hormones the link?. British Journal of Pharmacology, 176(21), 4119–4135. https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.14584
17. Hedayati, M., & Khazaei, M. (2014). An Investigation of the Relationship between Depression, Meaning in Life and Adult Hope. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 114, 598-601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.753
18. Irish, L. A., Fischer, B., Fallon, W., Spoonster, E., Sledjeski, E. M., & Delahanty, D. L. (2011). Gender differences in PTSD symptoms: an exploration of peritraumatic mechanisms. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 25(2), 209–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.09.004
19. Kartol, A., Üztemur, S. & Yaşar, P. (2023). ‘I cannot see ahead’: psychological distress, doomscrolling and dark future among adult survivors following Mw 7.7. and 7.6 earthquakes in Türkiye. BMC Public Health, 23, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17460-3
20. Kavak, G., Karaköse, Ş., & Koçak, O. (2023). Psikolojik Sağlamlık ve İkincil Travmatik Stres İlişkisi: Sosyal Medya Kullanımının Aracı Rolü. Sosyal Çalışma Dergisi, 7(2).
21. Kaya, B., & Griffiths, M.D. (2024). Intolerance of uncertainty and mental wellbeing: the mediating and moderating role of doomscrolling. Behaviour & Information Technology, https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2024.2314747
22. Kerig, P.K., Vanderzee, K.L., Becker, S.P., & Ward, R.M. (2012). Deconstructing PTSD: Traumatic experiences, posttraumatic symptom clusters, and mental health problems among delinquent youth. Journ Child Adol Trauma 5, 129–144. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361521.2012.671796
23. Kutlu, M., Savcı, M., Demir, Y., Aysan, F. (2016). Young İnternet Bağımlılığı Testi Kısa Formunun Türkçe uyarlaması: Üniversite öğrencileri ve ergenlerde geçerlilik ve güvenilirlik çalışması. Anadolu Psikiyatri Dergisi, 17(1), 69-76. https://doi.org/10.5455/apd.190501
24. Laslo-Roth, R., George-Levi, S., & Margalit, M. (2020). Social participation and posttraumatic growth: The serial mediation of hope, social support, and reappraisal. Journal of Community Psychology, 50(1), 47-63. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22490
25. Li, S. H., & Graham, B. M. (2017). Why are women so vulnerable to anxiety, trauma-related and stress-related disorders? The potential role of sex hormones. The Lancet Psychiatry, 4(1), 73–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(16)30358-3
26. Liu, S. R., Kia-Keating, M., & Modir, S. (2017). Hope and adjustment to college in the context of collective trauma. Journal of American College Health, 65(5), 323–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2017.1312412
27. Long, L.J. (2022). Hope and PTSD. Current Opinion in Psychology, 48, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101472
28. Mansour, A.I., & Muamar, A.M. (2021). Internet addiction and posttraumatic stress disorder in Palestinian Adolescents. Journal of Concurrent Disroders, 3(2), 78-87.
29. Muyan, M., Chang, E. C., Jilani, Z., Yu, T., Lin, J., & Hirsch, J. K. (2016). Loneliness and negative affective conditions in adults: Is there any room for hope in predicting anxiety and depressive symptoms? The Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 150(3), 333–341. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2015.1039474
30. Olff, M. (2017). Sex and gender differences in post-traumatic stress disorder: an update. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 8(sup4). https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2017.1351204
31. Park, C.S. (2016). Applying “Negativity Bias” to Twitter: Negative news on Twitter, emotions, and political learning. Journal of Information Technology & Politics, 12(4), 342-359. https://doi.org/10.1080/19331681.2015.1100225
32. Price, M., Legrand, A.C., Brier, Z.M.F., van Stolk-Cooke, K., Peck, K., Dodds, P.S., Danforth, C.M., & Adams, Z. W. (2022). Doomscrolling during COVID-19: The negative association between daily social and traditional media consumption and mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 14(8), 1338–1346. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001202
33. Qiong, W., Weihua, X., Longfei, R., Wenhao, W., Yang, W. (2019). The relationship between hope and post-traumatic stress disorder in Chinese shidu parents: The mediating role of perceived stress. Journal of Affective Disorders, 251, 23–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.03.049
34. Ryder, A.L., Azcarate, P.M. & Cohen, B.E. (2018). PTSD and Physical Health. Curr Psychiatry Rep, 20(116). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-018-0977-9
35. Satıcı, S. A. (2016). Psychological vulnerability, resilience, and subjective well-being: The mediating role of hope. Personality and Individual Differences, 102, 68–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.06.057
36. Satıcı, S.A., Gocet Tekin, E., Deniz, M.E., Satıcı, B. (2023). Doomscrolling Scale: its Association with Personality Traits, Psychological Distress, Social Media Use, and Wellbeing. Applied Research Quality Life, 18, 833–847. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-022-10110-7
37. Shabahang, R., Kim, S., Hosseinkhanzadeh, A. A., Aruguete, M. S., & Kakabaraee, K. (2022). “Give your thumb a break” from surfing tragic posts: Potential corrosive consequences of social media users’ doomscrolling. Media Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2022.2157287
38. Sharma, B., Lee, S.S., & Johnson, B.K. (2022). The dark at the end of the tunnel: Doomscrolling on social media newsfeeds. Technology, Mind, and Behavior, 3(1),. https://doi.org/10.1037/tmb0000059
39. Snyder, C.R., Harris, C., Anderson, J.R., Holleran, S.A., Irving, L.M., Sigmon, S.T., Yoshinobu, L., Gibb, J., Langelle, C., & Harney, P. (1991). The will and the ways: Development and validation of an individual-differences measure of hope. Journal Of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(4), 570–585. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.60.4.570 Snyder, C.R. (2002). Hope Theory: Rainbows in the Mind. Psychological Inquiry, 13(4), 249-275. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1304_01
40. Sparks, L.A., Trentacosta, C.J., Hicks, M.R., Kernsmith, P., & Smith-Darden, J. (2021). Hope as a Protective Factor: Relations to Adverse Childhood Experiences, Delinquency, and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms. J Child Fam Stud 30, 3005–3015. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-02119-7
41. Taş, B., & İme, Y. (2019). Boşanmış ve evli bireylerin depresyon, internet bağımlılığı düzeylerinin incelenmesi. Turkish Studies, 14(6), 3491-3503. https://doi.org/10.29228/TurkishStudies.37018
42. Taş, İ. (2018). Ergenlerde İnternet Bağımlılığı ve Psikolojik Belirtilerin Çeşitli Değişkenler Açısından İncelenmesi. Anemon Muş Alparslan Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 6(1), 31-41. https://doi.org/10.18506/anemon.310973
43. Taskin, S., Yildirim Kurtulus, H., Satici, S.A., & Deniz, M.E. (2024). Doomscrolling and mental well-being in social media users: A serial mediation through mindfulness and secondary traumatic stress. Journal of Community Psychology, 52(3), 512–524. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.23111
44. Tolin, D.F., & Foa, E.B. (2008). Sex differences in trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder: A quantitative review of 25 years of research. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, S(1), 37–85. https://doi.org/10.1037/1942-9681.s.1.37
45. Vaish, A., Grossmann, T., & Woodward, A. (2008). Not all emotions are created equal: The negativity bias in social-emotional development. Psychological Bulletin, 134(3), 383–403. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.134.3.383
46. Victor Rodrigues, E. (2023). Doomscrolling – threat to mental health and well-being: A Review. International Journal of Nursing Research, 8(4), 127–130. https://doi.org/10.31690/ijnr.2022.v08i04.002
47. Wang, C.H., Tsay, S.L., & Bond, A.E. (2005). Post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and quality of life in patients with traffic-related injuries. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 52(1), 22–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2005.03560.x
48. Wilker, S., Kolassa, S., Ibrahim, H., Rajan, V., Pfeiffer, A., Catani, C., & Kolassa, I.T. (2021). Sex differences in PTSD risk: evidence from post-conflict populations challenges the general assumption of increased vulnerability in females. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1930702. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1930702
49. Yang, X., Wu, X., Qi, J., & Zhou, X. (2022). Posttraumatic stress symptoms, adversity belief, and internet addiction in adolescents who experienced a major earthquake. Curr Psychol 41, 3013–3020 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00816-y
50. Zhou, X., Wu, X., & Zhen, R. (2017). Self-esteem and hope mediate the relations between social support and post-traumatic stress disorder and growth in adolescents following the Ya’an earthquake. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 31(1), 32-45. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2017.1374376