Trigger warning doesn’t work and can increase anxiety, study says

The so-called “trigger warnings” are a tool used at the beginning of texts, movies and series to alert that content can provoke anxiety attacks by awakening memories related to traumatic events. On social media, people usually use the term in Portuguese or simply write “TW”, the abbreviation of the English expression “trigger warning”.

Despite the good intentions in using this feature, a new review of studies by scientists from Harvard University, in the United States, and Flinders University, in Australia, suggests that they are not effective. According to the researchers, in addition to not preventing these problems, these alerts can by themselves end up arousing anxiety in users.

The work was done by checking 12 studies, published since 2018, that verified the effect of trigger warnings included in different types of media: news, book excerpts, photos, videos and movies. So, scholars compared some aspects to understand how effective these alerts are.

They found that most volunteers did not stop consuming the content even when there were “trigger warnings” and that the alerts did not generate an improvement in the understanding of sensitive topics covered in the media. The sign also did not help to reduce the negative emotions felt when viewing the materials.

In addition, when trying to prevent participants from becoming anxious due to the topic addressed in the content, they ended up becoming anxious because of the alert itself.

“Clinically, you can’t say that trigger warnings make people miss seeing [o conteúdo]. In fact, I perceive that the warning mobilizes a certain curiosity in the patient who has anxiety and panic attacks. He is already vulnerable to receive that information, imagining all the possible catastrophes that will come”, comments Lala Fonseca, psychologist and cognitive behavioral therapist in São Paulo (SP).

In the view of psychiatrist Rodrigo Martins Leite, coordinator of Prosol (Social and Cultural Psychiatry Program) at Ipq-HC (Psychiatry Institute of Hospital das Clínicas), in São Paulo, these notices were created to meet a demand from society to guarantee the respect for the uniqueness and suffering of people.

“One of the strategies is to offer a gradual exposure of individuals, with the idea that they can learn to deal with triggers and strengthen themselves in coping with stressful situations”, he says.

Although the results of the review are in agreement with the scientific evidence, there are some limitations. Starting with the fact that it is in the preprint phase, that is, it has not yet been approved by peers and published in a scientific journal.

The authors also point out that the effects of long-term trigger warnings and their impact on specific populations, such as victims of childhood sexual abuse, have not been analyzed.

The alternative to trigger warnings

According to Fonseca, the conclusion of the research does not mean that it is not necessary to be careful when creating materials on sensitive topics, such as suicide and rape.

“We need to bring the content without aggression, in a more explanatory way, in which you offer an alternative path for the person to reach cognition”, recommends the psychologist. “These issues need to be dealt with in a more open way”, adds Leite.

Fonseca explains that the problem is not the trigger warnings themselves, but the way they exist today. “The alert should actually be something along the lines of: if this content was uncomfortable for you and reminded you of something in your life, it may be important to seek an expert on the subject to talk about it, and not run away”, concludes the therapist.