Trigger warning: Trigger warnings don’t work

A trigger warning (TW) is a statement designed to caution individuals about upcoming content that could evoke distressing emotions. The majority of students promote the use of TWs and believe them to be helpful and their use is becoming more commonplace amongst instructors (noting that instructors also sometimes avoid teaching or discussing content that students could request a TW for). This article briefly reviews the research evidence on the efficacy and effectiveness of TWs and discusses ethical issues in their provision. There does not appear to be any reliable therapeutic benefit for TWs in terms of trauma-related or mental health outcomes. Based on the current state of the evidence, TWs should not be used as a mental health intervention and are not trauma-informed pedagogy. Their use appears to do more harm than good for the vast majority of individuals.