Geopolitical rhetoric as a potential psychological stressor: A conceptual review of mechanisms linking political discourse and population mental health.
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
42070520
Abstract
Although the mental health consequences of armed conflict, displacement, and climate-related disasters are well documented, the psychological effects of geopolitical rhetoric itself (independent of material events) remain insufficiently examined. This narrative review provides a conceptual and interdisciplinary synthesis of emerging and heterogeneous evidence on how threat-oriented political narratives may influence population mental health through indirect, mediated, and context-dependent pathways. The reviewed literature suggests convergent patterns across five thematic areas: symbolic threat and heightened vigilance; perceived uncertainty and loss of control; indirect effects of repeated media exposure; intersections with climate-related distress; and differential vulnerability across populations. Although empirical studies explicitly operationalising geopolitical rhetoric are limited, evidence from adjacent domains indicates that persistent exposure to such narratives may function as a chronic psychosocial stressor, extending beyond directly affected regions. Given the limited availability of direct empirical research, this review should be understood primarily as a theory-building synthesis rather than a consolidation of a well-established evidence base. These effects appear cumulative, are amplified by contemporary media environments, and are particularly salient in climate-sensitive and socially vulnerable contexts. Taken together, this review proposes a conceptual framework in which geopolitical rhetoric may act as an emerging contextual determinant of population mental health, with implications for preventive strategies, responsible public communication, and future research on socio-political determinants of psychological well-being.
Date Issued
2026-06
Publication Type
Article
Subject(s)
Subjects
Geopolitics
•
Media
•
Mental health
•
Rhetoric
•
Threat
•
Uncertainty
•
Vulnerability
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Torales, Julio | |
Barrios, Iván | |
Caycho-Rodríguez, Tomás | |
Ventriglio, Antonio | |
Castaldelli-Maia, João Mauricio |
Journal
Acta Psychologica
Publisher
Elsevier
ISSN
1873-6297
0001-6918
Access(Rights)
open.access