Trigger warnings: Caring or coddling

Abstract

Trigger warnings are proposed as a strategy to keep university students safe from potentially distressing material. While used internationally for several years, they have begun to be formally implemented in some Australian universities. This paper provides a critical review of the underlying theoretical premises of trigger warnings and the personal and professional impact of such warnings for students in health professions. As with most short-term avoidance strategies, trigger warnings are likely to have a negative impact on student mental health, rather than improve it. The warnings undermine the autonomy and self-management skills of students as independent, adult learners. If these warnings become more widespread, they have significant implications for the resilience of students. For students in health professions, who need skills to manage a wide-range of often unpleasant topics and provide responsive and competent treatment for their patients, they have the potential to result in adverse outcomes in patient care. The development of coping skills to flexibly self-manage and self-regulate emotions and behaviour is an important graduate attribute and provides an alternative to counterproductive trigger warnings.