scholarly journals The factors associated with distress following exposure to smoke from an extended coal mine fire

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Broder ◽  
Caroline Xiaolei Gao ◽  
Timothy Colin Heath Campbell ◽  
Emily Berger ◽  
Darryl Maybery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Response Relationship ◽  
Fire Event ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Mine Fire ◽  
Posttraumatic Distress ◽  
Exposure Response ◽  
Pm2.5 Exposure ◽  
The Impact

In February 2014, the coalmine adjacent to the Hazelwood Power Station in the Latrobe Valley of Victoria, Australia, caught fire, with residents from the nearby town of Morwell and the wider area exposed to smoke for six weeks. Although there was evidence linking the mine-fire event with psychological distress, no studies have evaluated the degree of distress in relation to the level of smoke exposure. We aimed to investigate the exposure-response relationship between particulate matter 2.5μm or less in diameter (PM2.5) released during the Hazelwood mine fire event and long-term symptoms of posttraumatic distress in the affected community, including the consideration of other key factors. A total of 3,096 Morwell residents, and 960 residents from the largely unexposed comparison community of Sale, were assessed for symptoms of posttraumatic distress 2.5 years after the Hazelwood incident using the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R). Individual-level PM2.5 exposure was estimated by mapping participants’ self-reported location data on modelled PM2.5 concentrations related to the mine fire. Multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate the exposure-response relationship. Both mean and peak exposure to mine fire-related PM2.5 were found to be associated with participant IES-R scores with an interaction effect between age and mean PM2.5 exposure also identified. Each 10 µg/m3 increase in mean PM2.5 exposure corresponded to a 0.98 increase in IES-R score (95% CI: 0.36 to 1.61), and each 100 µg/m3 increase in peak PM2.5 exposure corresponded to a 0.36 increase (95% CI: 0.06 to 0.67). An age-effect was observed, with the exposure-response association found to be stronger for younger adults. The results suggest that increased exposure to PM2.5 emissions from the Hazelwood mine fire event was associated with higher levels of psychological distress associated with the mine fire and the most pronounced effect was on younger adults living in the affected community.

scholarly journals An exploration of the trajectory of psychological distress associated with exposure to smoke during the 2014 Hazelwood coal mine fire

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Carroll ◽  
Timothy Colin Heath Campbell ◽  
Catherine L Smith ◽  
Caroline Xiaolei Gao ◽  
Darryl Maybery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Fine Particulate Matter ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Mine Fire ◽  
Posttraumatic Distress ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Pm2.5 Exposure ◽  
The Impact

Due to climate change, catastrophic events such as landscape fires are increasing in frequency and severity. However, relatively little is known about the longer-term mental health outcomes of such events. Follow-up was conducted of 709 adults exposed to smoke from the 2014 Hazelwood mine fire in Morwell, Victoria, Australia. Participants completed two surveys evaluating posttraumatic distress, measured using the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R), three and six years after the mine fire. Mixed-effects regression models were used to evaluate longitudinal changes in distress. IES-R total scores increased on average by 2.6 points (95%CI: 1.2 to 3.9 points) between the two survey rounds, with increases across all three posttraumatic distress symptom clusters, particularly intrusive symptoms. This increase in distress was evident across all levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure to the mine fire smoke. Age was an effect modifier between mine fire PM2.5 exposure and posttraumatic distress, with younger adults impacted more by exposure to the mine fire. Greater exposure to PM2.5 from the mine fire was still associated with increased psychological distress some six years later, with the overall level of distress increasing between the two survey rounds. The follow-up survey coincided with the Black Summer bushfire season in south-eastern Australia and exposure to this new smoke event may have triggered distress sensitivities stemming from exposure to the earlier mine fire. Public health responses to disaster events should take into consideration prior exposures and vulnerable groups, particularly younger adults.

scholarly journals Evaluating the impact of Hazelwood mine fire event on students' educational development with Bayesian interrupted time-series hierarchical meta-regression

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline X Gao ◽  
Jonathan C. Broder ◽  
Sam Brilleman ◽  
Emily Berger ◽  
Jill Ikin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
School Level ◽  
Fire Event ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Mine Fire ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Meta Regression ◽  
The Impact

Background: Disasters and other community-wide events can introduce significant interruptions and trauma to impacted communities. Children and young people can be disproportionately affected with additional educational disruptions. With the increasing threat of climate change, establishing a timely and adaptable framework to evaluate the impact of disasters on academic achievement is needed. However, analytical challenges are posed by the availability issue of individual-level data. Methods: A new method, Bayesian hierarchical meta-regression, was developed to evaluate the impact of the 2014 Hazelwood mine fire (a six-week fire event in Australia) using only aggregated school-level data from the standardised National Assessment Program-Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) test. NAPLAN results and school characteristics (2008-2018) from 69 primary/secondary schools with different levels of mine fire-related smoke exposure were used to estimate the impact of the event. Using an interrupted time-series design, the model estimated immediate effects and post-interruption trend differences with full Bayesian statistical inference. Results: Major academic interruptions across NAPLAN domains were evident in high exposure schools in the year post-mine fire (highest in Writing: 11.09 [95%CI: 3.16-18.93], lowest in Reading: 8.34 [95%CI: 1.07-15.51]). The interruption was comparable to a three to four-month delay in educational attainment and had not fully recovered after several years. Conclusions: Considerable academic delays were found as a result of a mine fire, highlighting the need to provide educational and community-based supports in response to future events. Importantly, this work provides a statistical method using readily available aggregated data to assess the educational impacts in response to other disasters

scholarly journals AGE, EXPERIENCE OF RACIAL MICROAGGRESSIONS, AND DISTRESS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S711-S712
Author(s):  
Shayla Thompson ◽  
Broderick Sawyer ◽  
Suzanne Meeks
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Racial Microaggressions ◽  
Amazon Mechanical Turk ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Anger Rumination ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Racial microaggressions are a common form of racial discrimination consisting of subtle or interpersonal slights. Racial microaggressions are linked to various kinds of psychological distress in younger adults, but have not been studied across the lifespan. We examined the relationship of racial microaggressions with psychological distress and anger rumination among younger and older adults identified as racial or ethnic minorities. We hypothesized that age would moderate the relationship between racial microaggressions and psychological distress and anger rumination, that is, the relationship would be weaker for older than for younger adults. Participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk and were compensated $1 for their participation. Preliminary tests of the hypotheses (N=220), using multiple regression analyses to test for moderation, failed to support the hypothesis that age would mitigate the impact of microaggressions on symptom severity. Both age and microaggressions were related to psychological distress and anger rumination, but contrary to prediction, older adults showed more exacerbation of distress in the face of microaggressions than younger adults. The results also differed by gender and ethnic groups, suggesting the importance of examining intersectional experiences of race, gender, and age in response to discrimination. These cross-sectional findings lend support to the importance of considering both subtle and overt discriminatory experiences in understanding the mental health challenges for minority groups in the U.S., but more work is needed to examine the intersection of ethnicity with other demographic variables, and to understand how the lifelong experiences of discrimination may shape older adults’ vulnerability, well-being, and resilience.

Exposure to Violence, Ethos of Conflict, and Support for Compromise

2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daphna Canetti ◽  
Julia Elad-Strenger ◽  
Iris Lavi ◽  
Dana Guy ◽  
Daniel Bar-Tal
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Political Violence ◽  
Exposure To Violence ◽  
Political Conflict ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Peaceful Settlement ◽  
Political Outcomes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
East Jerusalem

Does ongoing exposure to political violence prompt subject groups to support or oppose compromise in situations of intractable conflict? If so, what is the mechanism underlying these processes? Political scholarship neither offers conclusive arguments nor sufficiently addresses individual-level forms of exposure to violence in the context of political conflict, particularly the factors mediating political outcomes. We address this by looking at the impact of exposure to political violence, psychological distress, perceived threat, and ethos of conflict on support for political compromise. A mediated model is hypothesized whereby exposure to political violence provokes support for the ethos of conflict and hinders support for compromise through perceived psychological distress and perceived national threat. We examined representative samples of two parties to the same conflict: Israelis ( N = 781) and Palestinians from Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank ( N = 1,196). The study’s main conclusion is that ethos of conflict serves as a mediating variable in the relationship between exposure to violence and attitudes toward peaceful settlement of the conflict.

The Effectiveness of EMDR in Reducing Psychological Distress in Survivors of Natural Disasters: A Review

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fehmida Natha ◽  
Anna Daiches
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Clinical Significance ◽  
Humanitarian Assistance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Disaster Survivors ◽  
Cost Efficient ◽  
The Impact

Natural disasters affect whole communities both at an individual level as well as economically and socially. However, the impact of natural disasters on an individual’s mental health is substantial; yet, the response to one’s mental health needs after a disaster is underdeveloped. Nevertheless, the Humanitarian Assistance Programme has attempted to address these needs by providing eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) to natural disaster survivors. This systematic review provides evidence for the effectiveness and efficacy of EMDR in the treatment of psychological distress in survivors of natural disasters. Of the 8 studies reviewed, 4 were controlled trials and 1 study part-controlled. All the studies demonstrated statistical and clinical significance in reducing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, anxiety, depression, and other distress experienced by survivors of natural disasters. In addition, 4 of the 8 studies demonstrated clinical significance after just 1 session, presenting EMDR as resource-, time-, and cost-efficient intervention. Theoretical framework, adaptation in intervention, methodological issues, and quality assessment of studies are discussed. Implications for future research and clinical practice are also discussed.

PM2.5 Exposure-Response Relationship With Child Pneumonia In Bhaktapur, Nepal: The Importance Of Fuel Type

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 (1) ◽  
pp. 3032
Author(s):  
Michael N Bates ◽  
Ram K Chandyo ◽  
Palle Valentiner-Branth ◽  
Amod K. Pokhrel ◽  
Sudha Basnet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Response Relationship ◽  
Fuel Type ◽  
Exposure Response ◽  
Child Pneumonia ◽  
Pm2.5 Exposure

scholarly journals Association of workplace social capital with psychological distress: results from a longitudinal multilevel analysis of the J-HOPE Study

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. e022569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hisashi Eguchi ◽  
Akizumi Tsutsumi ◽  
Akiomi Inoue ◽  
Hiroyuki Hikichi ◽  
Ichiro Kawachi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Unit Level ◽  
Repeated Measures Design ◽  
Distress Scale ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Workplace Social Capital

ObjectivesWorkplace social capital (WSC) is increasingly recognised as a social contextual determinant of workers’ mental health, but longitudinal data are sparse. We aimed to evaluate the impact of changes in unit-level WSC on psychological distress among Japanese employees using a prospective multilevel repeated-measures design.Participants and study designWe conducted a 2-year prospective cohort study with 1,944 men and 786 women aged 18–65 years. Participants worked at two manufacturing worksites in Japan and were free from mental illness from the first to third study waves. We used a three-level multilevel regression design to evaluate the prospective association of unit-level WSC with individual-level psychological distress. WSC was measured using a validated six-item instrument and individual-level psychological distress with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6).ResultsThe null model indicated a significant degree of between-work unit variation in psychological distress (intraclass correlation=0.1%, p<0.001). In the full model, each SD increase in unit-level WSC was associated with 0.69 point improvement in K6 scores (95% CI −1.12 to −0.26).ConclusionsThis prospective study builds on existing knowledge by showing an association between unit-level WSC and modest improvements in mental health among employees in Japan. We recommend that WSC is considered alongside other contextual influences when assessing employees’ mental health risks.

scholarly journals The Impact of the Financial Crisis on Entrepreneurship Among Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 460-461
Author(s):  
Julie Kim
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Labor Market ◽  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Economic Downturn ◽  
Active Aging ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The 2008 Financial Crisis ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Older adults are assumed to be more averse to uncertainty than younger adults as economics and psychology studies based on prospect theory and related risk aversion theories show. Indeed, compared to younger adults, older adults engage in a smaller share of entrepreneurship. Yet adults 50 and over make up a steadily growing group of entrepreneurs in the US, and the 2008 financial crisis has not slowed them down. Sociological perspectives on older adults’ entrepreneurship consider disruption in the structural conditions of the labor market as a result of the economic crisis and a culture of active aging to argue that older adults’ entrepreneurial behaviors stem from structural and cultural roots. Analyses using 2003-2015 individual-level data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor show that an economic downturn did not thwart older adults’ entrepreneurial activities any more than it affected younger adults’ activities. Further, older adults’ odds of planning to start a business and actually starting a business were higher after the crisis than before the crisis. A closer examination reveals that older adults with less wealth generally have higher odds of pursuing entrepreneurship than other older adults. Meanwhile, wealthier older adults have higher odds of pursuing opportunity-driven entrepreneurship. Evidence suggests that the saliency of labor market conditions or the culture of active aging depends on older adults’ social location.

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