Why watching true crime could actually be good for you, according to psychologists

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Details of gory murders, salacious narratives of innocent people terrorised, haunting images of empty-eyed killers. Immediately, there’s not much positive about the reasons we get stuck into true crime documentaries, series or podcasts. But we sure do love to consume this entertainment – a 2024 YouGov poll finds that 57% of Americans say they consume true crime content. 

That’s a lot of people, so there must be something to it. While there’s a little more nuance to this than saying true crime is good for us, it seems that in certain ways, environments, and with the right thinking, there can be benefits to bingeing these documentaries through the night. 

True crime piques our (morbid) curiosity

Clinical lead at Mental Health Matrix, Gareth Strangemore-Jones says “Human beings are intensely interested in information that might help us understand danger.” This is the crux of why we are drawn to true crime in the first place – we want to learn, but especially about darker situations that we aren’t exposed to every day. 

Considering motivations strengthens empathy

“When something is frightening or potentially dangerous, there can be an urge to understand it rather than simply turn away from it.” Says Dr Sasha Hall, an educational psychologist. While this pertains to the survival instinct within us, learning about backstory, motivations, and the reaction to their arrest can offer us insights into people we (hopefully) won’t encounter in real life, which broadens perspectives and boosts our emotional intelligence. 

However, it is also important to approach these shows with empathy in mind. “The healthiest interest in true crime retains empathy. The moment real people [especially innocent family members and victims] become merely characters, clues or content, something important has been lost.” Strangemore-Jones says. 

Learning new information also releases dopamine

Outside of the more psychological pieces of the story, “true crime also gives the mind a compelling puzzle.” Says Strangemore-Jones. As well as motives and upbringings, we are also able to piece together evidence, contradictions, behaviours, and elements that unravel, allowing for the capture of the suspects

This puzzle element means that “Watching true crime can almost be like an escape room for the brain.” Says Hall. This combination of entertainment in dark themes can be seen throughout history, from the documentary series of today, through to murder mysteries such as Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, even children’s cartoons like Scooby Doo. 

By this logic, it makes sense that “some viewers feel true crime helps them recognise manipulation, coercive control, grooming or other warning signs,” Strangemore-Jones says. He adds that there is more nuance to the reality of the situation than this, of course. But purely from a viewer perspective, this sense of knowledge can feel useful and empowering – as well as satisfying, hence the dopamine release.

Watching true crime can help us to feel less anxious about the world

One of the less obvious comforts of true crime is that it can make something frightening or anxiety-inducing feel more understandable. Humans are creatures of habit; we like logic and to have control over a situation. Therefore, randomness is uncomfortable for humans. “If something terrible happens for no apparent reason, we are left with the frightening possibility that it could happen to anyone at any time,” Hall explains. 

Because much of true crime tends to involve the case having been solved, we are generally presented with a beginning, a middle, and an end. “The event itself remains horrific, but the story gives us a framework through which to understand it,” Hall says. Having made sense of this situation, we feel more equipped to accept and deal with the more evil things that can happen in the world. 

“That sense of moral order can temporarily reassure us that terrible events can be understood and that justice is possible. Unsolved or ambiguous cases, of course, may have the opposite effect.” Strangemore-Jones adds. 

True crime allows us to experience danger from a safe space 

In a similar way to how watching true crime can help us understand horrible events as horrible events and not as unexpected terror, “it allows us to encounter something genuinely frightening while remaining physically safe,” Hall says.

This is similar to exposure therapy. In this type of therapy, the American Psychological Association (APA) says that “psychologists create a safe environment in which to ‘expose’ individuals to the things they fear and avoid. 

When we watch true crime, we are doing something similar. “Viewers can pause it, turn it off or remind themselves that the threat is not happening in the room around them,” Strangemore-Jones says. This means that “The nervous system experiences suspense and arousal, followed by the relief of returning to safety.” 

As these events are also often in parts of the world we haven’t been to, or took place decades in the past, there is a geographical difference or time difference that provides us with further security. 

When we combine these points, the thrill element becomes clear: we have learned, felt a sense of empowerment, and in a sense, survived an exposure therapy-style moment around our fears. 

Not everyone will feel these benefits

Both Hall and Strangemore-Jones say that quite simply, if the experience is not enjoyable and you find yourself unable to switch off for extended periods afterwards, it might be best to not watch true crime – or to at least choose less triggering stories, especially if lived experience is a factor. 

“If it repeatedly disrupts sleep, causes intrusive images, increases checking or avoidance, makes ordinary environments feel unsafe or leaves somebody persistently hypervigilant, then it is no longer providing controlled excitement. It is feeding the brain’s threat system,” Strangemore-Jones offers.