True crime content can help explain psychology but may also trigger anxiety

Stories about real crimes, commonly called true crime, can not only help people understand human psychology but also trigger anxiety. The Latvian news site Apollo.lv discussed the side effects of such content with Arta Stūrmane, a psychiatrist at the National Mental Health Centre.

The anxiety can take very specific forms. For example, a person may check at least ten times that the front door is locked. Another may stay on alert even while showering, in case an intruder with a knife breaks into the apartment.

True crime content therefore has a dual effect: it can help people grasp how others think and act, but it can also heighten fear and a sense of insecurity in everyday life. The conversation with the psychiatrist examines these side effects in more detail.