<p>Doomscrolling, the repetitive consumption of distressing online content, has been linked to heightened emotional strain, yet the psychological processes that may underlie its association with trauma-like outcomes remain less understood. This study examined whether psychological distress and general belief in a just world (GBJW) function as intermediary mechanisms in the association between doomscrolling and secondary traumatic stress symptoms associated with social media exposure (STS-SM). A cross-sectional sample of 235 adults in Singapore completed validated self-report measures assessing doomscrolling behavior, psychological distress, GBJW, and STS-SM. Regression-based mediation analyses indicated that psychological distress was associated with the link between doomscrolling and STS-SM, with indirect pathways observed across depression, anxiety, and stress subdomains. GBJW did not emerge as an independent mediator. However, a sequential pathway was observed: higher levels of doomscrolling were related to greater psychological distress, which was in turn was linked to variations in GBJW, and subsequently to STS-SM. These findings suggest that psychological distress may represent a proximal emotional process, whereas GBJW may function as a conditional cognitive resource mobilized in response to heightened strain. While the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference, the results highlight potential affective and cognitive pathways through which doomscrolling may be linked with trauma-like responses. Future longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to further clarify these mechanisms and to inform strategies for supporting psychological well-being in digitally saturated contexts.</p>