Journalists who covered wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks experienced high rates of psychiatric disorders—with many still having symptoms today—according to a report in the
British Journal of Psychiatry.
Moreover, news organizations did not make mental health therapy and support widely available to these journalists.
Why It’s Relevant
Journalists who cover distant wars play an important role in society by keeping the public informed of events that have the potential to affect everyone. Yet there have been no studies examining long-term psychiatric outcomes for journalists who work in the world’s most dangerous places.
By the Numbers
- Researchers assessed clinical surveys from 156 journalists across five news organizations: CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Associated Press and NPR. Of these, 99 also received a structured clinical interview over Zoom. All participants had covered wars in Afghanistan and the Middle East between September 2001 and 2013—but only three still covered war zones.
- The journalists reported a high lifetime prevalence of PTSD (27%), depression (34%), any anxiety disorder (28%), and/or alcohol use disorder (34%).
- The past-year rates of PTSD (6%) and anxiety disorders (11%) remained elevated compared with the general population.
- Counselling was available to just 40% of these journalists while they were covering conflict; overall, they rated the level of psychological support provided by their news organizations during this time as poor.
The Other Side
As the respondents were selected from just five organizations, the findings may not reflect the experiences of all war correspondents. In addition, most of the questions posed were descriptive rather than quantitative.
Takeaway Message
“War journalism can be hazardous in the extreme and risk [of physical harm] emerged as a key correlate of PTSD,” the authors wrote. “With the Global Peace Index continuing to decline, data like these provide a timely reminder to journalists and their news organizations of the psychiatric toll that covering war can exact.”
Related Information
Source
Anthony Feinstein, et. al. War and the long-term psychiatric health of journalists who cover it.
British Journal of Psychiatry. Published March 2, 2026. doi:
https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2026.10552
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