All in the Mind Should we be using trigger warnings?
Nov 4, 2025
Daryl O’Connor, Professor of Psychology at the University of Leeds, and Stephen Grosz, a psychoanalyst and author, discuss compelling insights on well-being and relationships. O'Connor reveals how discrimination is linked to inflammation, highlighting the health benefits of kindness. Grosz unpacks the complexities of gift-giving, explaining how it can sometimes control rather than connect people. They also delve into the effectiveness of trigger warnings and the potential of safe-space notifications to foster open discussions.
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Trigger Warnings Largely Ineffective
- Large-scale research shows trigger warnings generally have no protective effect on emotional responses.
- When effects appear, they are small and sometimes negative, increasing anticipatory anxiety.
Curiosity Overrides Warnings
- People offered the choice overwhelmingly choose to view distressing content, driven by morbid curiosity.
- Typical take-up rates in studies ranged around 80–95% despite warnings or the option to avoid.
Avoiders Aren't Always Vulnerable
- Those who avoid warned content are not consistently the most trauma‑vulnerable.
- Alarmingly, higher-risk individuals sometimes seek out graphic content, which can maintain pathology.