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The Medicine of Uncertainty: Fear, Rumors, and Emotional Contagion During Regional Crises



The Medicine of Uncertainty: Fear, Rumors, and Emotional Contagion During Regional Crises

Sulaiman Alshakhs, MD
Psychiatrist, Hamad Medical Corporation
Clinical Associate of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar
Regional conflicts affect mental health far beyond active combat zones. While psychiatry has long recognized the psychological consequences of war among soldiers, modern conflicts increasingly affect civilians through displacement, economic instability, and continuous media exposure.

One of the most clinically relevant concepts during times of unrest is intolerance of uncertainty. During prolonged geopolitical crises, individuals often oscillate between fears related to safety, financial security, displacement, and the unpredictability of future events. This persistent uncertainty may contribute to anxiety symptoms, trouble with sleep, mood instability, panic attacks, hopelessness, and worsening of pre-existing psychiatric conditions.

A major modern amplifier of distress is media exposure, which can become continuous and repetitive. Social media algorithms and 24-hour news cycles purposefully amplify emotionally engaging content, particularly negative information, which may reinforce fear and rumination. Research following the Boston Marathon bombings demonstrated that individuals with more than six hours of bombing-related daily media exposure experienced higher acute stress symptoms than some directly exposed individuals.¹

Another important observation is that distress during conflicts is not restricted to those with previous psychiatric illness or direct war exposure.² Clinically, many individuals without prior mental health histories may present with new-onset insomnia, panic symptoms, irritability, emotional exhaustion, or social withdrawal during periods of geopolitical instability. Vulnerable populations include children, healthcare workers, displaced persons, and individuals with previous psychopathology; however, psychological reactions can occur across all demographic groups.

Children deserve particular attention. Evidence suggests that parental stress, disrupted routines, excessive exposure to distressing media, and poor family coping strategies are among the strongest predictors of adverse psychological outcomes in children during crises.³ Conversely, stable routines, positive parenting practices, social support, and emotional validation appear protective.

Several practical interventions may help reduce distress and improve resilience during periods of uncertainty. Normalizing stress reactions can reduce secondary anxiety. Maintaining structured routines, regular physical activity, healthy sleep habits, and social connectedness may mitigate psychological deterioration. Limiting repetitive news consumption is particularly important.

Mindfulness practices, grounding techniques, spirituality, and creative expression may also support coping.⁴

Finally, communication matters. During crises, people often respond better to compassionate listening and practical support than to excessive psychiatric labeling or professional jargon.⁵ Effective care begins with recognizing emotions, validating them, and identifying what remains within a person’s control in dealing with them.

 

Suggested Further Reading

  1. Holman EA, Garfin DR, Silver RC. Media's role in broadcasting acute stress following the Boston Marathon bombings. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Jan 7;111(1):93-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas. 1316265110. Epub 2013 Dec 9. PMID: 24324161; PMCID: PMC3890785.
  2. Jain N, Prasad S, Czárth ZC, Chodnekar SY, Mohan S, Savchenko E, Panag DS, Tanasov A, Betka MM, Platos E, Świątek D, Krygowska AM, Rozani S, Srivastava M, Evangelou K, Gristina KL, Bordeniuc A, Akbari AR, Jain S, Kostiks A, Reinis A. War Psychiatry: Identifying and Managing the Neuropsychiatric Consequences of Armed Conflicts. J Prim Care Community Health. 2022 Jan-Dec;13:21501319221106625. doi: 10.1177/21501319221106625. PMID: 35726205; PMCID: PMC9218442.
  3. Pfefferbaum B, Jacobs AK, Houston JB, Griffin N. Children's disaster reactions: the influence of family and social factors. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2015 Jul;17(7):57. doi: 10.1007/ s11920-015-0597-6. PMID: 25980512.
  4. Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC). IASC guidelines on mental health and psychosocial support in emergency settings [Internet]. Geneva: IASC; 2007 [cited 2026 May 10]. Available from: IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings.
  5. Hamza MK, Hicks MH. Implementation of mental health services in conflict and post-conflict zones: Lessons from Syria. Avicenna J Med. 2021 Jan 5;11(1):8-14. doi: 10.4103/ ajm.ajm_141_20. PMID: 33520783; PMCID: PMC7839262.