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Volume 18, Issue 1 (2026)
3 2026, 18(1): 21-28 |
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Received: 2025/08/18 | Accepted: 2025/12/16 | Published: 2026/01/3
Received: 2025/08/18 | Accepted: 2025/12/16 | Published: 2026/01/3
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Sokhanvar M, Zareipour M. Media-Based Cognitive Warfare and Its Mental Health Consequences. 3 2026; 18 (1) :21-28
URL: http://ijwph.daneshafarand.org/article-3-85685-en.html
URL: http://ijwph.daneshafarand.org/article-3-85685-en.html
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1- Department of Public Health, Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Khoy, Iran
2- Department of Public Health, Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Khoy, Iran, Department of Public Health, Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Opposite to Khoshkbar Square, Vali-e-Asr Boulevard, Khoy, Iran. Postal Code: 58167-53464 (z.morad@yahoo.com)
2- Department of Public Health, Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Khoy, Iran, Department of Public Health, Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Opposite to Khoshkbar Square, Vali-e-Asr Boulevard, Khoy, Iran. Postal Code: 58167-53464 (z.morad@yahoo.com)
Abstract (267 Views)
Aims: Cognitive warfare has emerged as a modern form of conflict in which media platforms are used to shape perceptions, exert psychological pressure, and erode societal resilience. Continuous exposure to war-related news, threatening narratives, and misinformation may contribute to adverse mental health outcomes in civilian populations. This review aimed to synthesize available evidence on the psychological consequences of media-based cognitive warfare, with a focus on anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Information & Methods: This scoping review was conducted on Persian and English studies published between 2000 and 2025. Searches were performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, SID, and Magiran using keywords related to cognitive warfare, media exposure, and mental health outcomes. After screening 250 records and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, eight studies were selected. Data were extracted and synthesized descriptively due to methodological heterogeneity.
Findings: Exposure to war-related media content was consistently associated with increased anxiety, depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder manifestations, hypervigilance, intrusive thoughts, and reduced perceived safety. Vulnerable groups, including older adults, adolescents, and individuals with occupational exposure to traumatic media, showed heightened susceptibility. Two primary mechanisms were identified, including cognitive overload and emotional erosion caused by continuous threat-based messaging, and secondary trauma induced by indirect exposure to violent imagery.
Conclusion: Exposure to war-related media content correlates with heightened anxiety, depressive symptoms, and trauma-related manifestations, particularly among civilian populations.
Information & Methods: This scoping review was conducted on Persian and English studies published between 2000 and 2025. Searches were performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, SID, and Magiran using keywords related to cognitive warfare, media exposure, and mental health outcomes. After screening 250 records and applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, eight studies were selected. Data were extracted and synthesized descriptively due to methodological heterogeneity.
Findings: Exposure to war-related media content was consistently associated with increased anxiety, depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder manifestations, hypervigilance, intrusive thoughts, and reduced perceived safety. Vulnerable groups, including older adults, adolescents, and individuals with occupational exposure to traumatic media, showed heightened susceptibility. Two primary mechanisms were identified, including cognitive overload and emotional erosion caused by continuous threat-based messaging, and secondary trauma induced by indirect exposure to violent imagery.
Conclusion: Exposure to war-related media content correlates with heightened anxiety, depressive symptoms, and trauma-related manifestations, particularly among civilian populations.
Keywords:
Warfare [MeSH], Misinformation [MeSH], Anxiety [MeSH], Depression [MeSH], Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder [MeSH], Mental Health [MeSH]
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