Daniel S. Busso|Katie A. McLaughlin|Margaret A. Sheridan
MEDIA EXPOSURE AND SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM REACTIVITY PREDICT PTSD SYMPTOMS AFTER THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBINGS
University of Washington|Harvard University|Boston Children's Hospital
terrorist attacks shown precipitate posttraumatic stress disorder ptsd symptomatology children adolescents particularly among youths high exposure media coverage surrounding events media exposure may particularly likely trigger ptsd symptoms youths high physiological reactivity stress prior psychopathology exposure violence examined interplay media exposure preattack psychopathology autonomic nervous system ans reactivity prior violence exposure predicting ptsd symptom onset following terrorist attack 2013 boston marathona community sample 78 adolescents mean age 167 years 65 female completed survey bombings including media exposure event ptsd symptoms respondents participated study assessing psychopathology prior attack sympathetic parasympathetic reactivity laboratorybased stressor assessed subset n 44 sample examined associations media exposure ans reactivity preattack psychopathology prior violence exposure onset ptsd symptoms related bombingsmedia exposure preattack psychopathology prior violence exposure associated ptsd symptoms moreover media exposure interacted sympathetic reactivity predict ptsd symptom onset adolescents lower levels sympathetic reactivity developed ptsd symptoms following high exposure media coverage attackwe provide novel evidence physiological reactivity prior exposure unpredictable traumatic stressor predicts ptsd symptom onset findings implications identifying youths vulnerable ptsd following widescale trauma