Please Show Restraint: Excessive Focus on Catastrophic Events Can Lead to Greater Psychological Trauma

Abstract

Abstract Background: This study explored the relationship between attention, negative emotions, empathy, mindfulness, and psychological trauma in catastrophic events to reduce the public’s psychological trauma. Methods: A total of 526 adults in Guangxi Province, China, were investigated using self-rating scales for post-traumatic stress disorder, emotion, and empathy, a five-factor self-rating mindfulness scale, and a catastrophic incident concern questionnaire. Results: The results reveal the following: (1) Women are vulnerable to psychological trauma in catastrophic events (F [464]=0.681, p<0.05). (2) Emotion has a significant mediating effect between attention and psychological trauma. (3) Empathy has a significant mediating effect between attention and psychological trauma. (4) Mindfulness is conducive to buffering an individual’s negative emotions and also regulates the degree of psychological trauma in the public’s attention to catastrophic events. Therefore, people should be rational and restrained in the face of such events. Conclusions: When people pay attention to catastrophic events, they should remain rational and restrained, and avoid excessive emotional involvement, to reduce the excessive psychological trauma caused by the event.