Please show restraint: excessive focus on catastrophic events can lead to greater psychological trauma.
BMC psychology October 18, 2024 Huaqiang Liu, Zhensong Lan, Qi Zhao et al.
Attention to catastrophic events is linked to increased psychological trauma through two pathways: negative emotions and empathy. A survey of 526 adults in Guangxi Province, China, found that both negative emotions and empathy mediated the relationship between attention and trauma. Mindfulness unexpectedly amplified the effect of negative emotions on trauma rather than buffering it. The findings suggest that when people pay attention to catastrophic events, they should remain sensible and restrained and avoid excessive emotional involvement to reduce psychological trauma.