PhD Student: Barbara Vinagre Mota; Partner: Tech Against Terrorism; Supervisors: Prof. Jessica Woodhams and Dr. Fazeelat Duran; School: School of Psychology.
Professionals working in sectors outside the criminal justice system are increasingly required to engage with disturbing and distressing online content in the course of their work. A prominent example are the open-source intelligence analysts and data scientists at Tech Against Terrorism (TAT), who routinely analyse and manage large volumes of terrorism and violent extremism (TVE) content. This content often includes hate speech, explicit depictions of violence, and detailed plans of violent acts, all of which pose potential psychological risks to those exposed. Although the impact of repeated exposure to such content has been studied among criminal justice personnel, research on professionals outside this sector remains scarce. The limited existing literature tends to focus on small samples, using cross-sectional survey designs with minimal participant interaction, thus failing to capture the complexity of the issue.
The proposed project, in collaboration with TAT, aims to bridge this gap in knowledge by investigating the factors that contribute to the development of distress in analysts and the factors that heighten their resilience while also exploring the structural brain changes that occur with increased exposure to TVE content.
The theoretical framework for this research is grounded in the model proposed by Woodhams and Duran (2004), which explores how occupational exposure to distressing content can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. Central to this model is the notion that exposure to such material creates a pervasive sense of threat, an experience commonly reported by those handling violent content. This model forms the basis for investigating how analysts process and respond to the content they are exposed to and the potential consequences for their mental health and wellbeing.
The study will adopt a mixed-methods approach, integrating both qualitative and quantitative data collection across longitudinal and cross-sectional designs. A sample of 20-30 analysts from TAT will be recruited for a longitudinal study spanning 18 months. Data will be collected through psychometric testing, semi-structured interviews, and MRI scans. Psychometric testing will occur at four time points: baseline (prior to significant exposure to distressing material), and at 6-month intervals (T1, T2, T3). These assessments will measure psychological outcomes such as secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, burnout, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances, as well as mechanisms of risk and resilience. Multilevel modelling will be employed to analyse the resulting data.
Participants will complete two semi-structured interviews at two time points: T1 and T3. These interviews will explore the nature of their work, their emotional and cognitive responses to TVE content, and the coping strategies they employ. Template analysis will be used to analyse the interview data, providing rich, qualitative insights into the subjective experiences of the participants.
Finally, participants will undergo MRI scans at two time points: baseline and at 12-18 months. The scans will assess structural changes in the brain that may occur as a result of prolonged exposure to TVE content. Pre-processing and analysis will be conducted using ANOVA techniques via CAT12.
The anticipated outcomes of this study are twofold. First, it will provide TAT with a deeper understanding of the psychological risks and resilience factors influencing their staff, allowing for targeted mental health interventions and improved workplace support. Second, the findings will contribute to the broader understanding of how exposure to TVE content affects individuals emotionally, cognitively, behaviourally, and neurologically. These insights will help inform occupational mental health strategies for organizations working with harmful online content and contribute to theoretical models explaining the impact of such exposure.