Against the backdrop of ever-expanding technological systems, the effects of accidents or breakdowns in human-made technology are examined and contrasted with those of natural disasters. A number of differences are identified, and research on these forms of cataclysmic events is reviewed. These data, as well as this analysis, suggest that technological catastrophes are more likely to have long-term effects, to affect people beyond the point of impact, and to pose different types of threat than are natural disasters.

The relationship between chronic stress and symptoms of posttraumatic stress syndrome was examined in people living within 5 miles (8 km) of the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power station. Residents of Frederick, Maryland, a town at least 80 miles (129 km) from TMI, were used as a control population. Chronic stress levels were evaluated using self-report, behavioral, and biochemical measures. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress were also measured. TMI-area residents experienced more symptoms of chronic stress as well as more symptoms of posttraumatic stress than the control group. Residents at TMI were particularly bothered by intrusive thoughts about the damaged reactor. There was a strong relationship between self-report, behavioral, and psychological measures of chronic stress and characteristics central to posttraumatic stress as denned by the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 1980). Data provided evidence of substantive links between chronic stress and development of mild symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder.Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an affective disorder that occurs following a stressful event that is outside the realm of normal human experience (American Psychiatric Association, 1980). Symptoms of the disorder that are used as diagnostic criteria include intrusive thoughts or dreams, social withdrawal, heightened vigilance, increased autonomic arousal, sleep difficulty, and memory impairment. Milder manifestations of many of these problems are also associated with ongoing chronic stress, and in some ways these diagnostic criteria appear to be exaggerated symptoms of continuing stress. The present study examined the relationship of symptoms of PTSD to more general indicators of chronic stress among people living near the damaged Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear power station.The accident at TMI occurred in March 1979 and involved the release of radiation. Radioactive gas was trapped in the containment building during the accident, leaked periodically, and was finally released into the environment more than a year later.Radioactive water and debris were also left by the accident. Contradictory information about possible radiation exposure was the rule, and an evacuation advisory for pregnant women and families with young children confirmed many residents' fears of radiation exposure. Researchers found effects such as increased demoralization, threat perception, fear, depression, and symptom reporting shortly after the accident (Dohrenwend, Dohrenwend, The authors would like to thank Richard Rahe for his helpful comments on earlier drafts of this article.The research was facilitated by support from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (C07216) and the National Science Foundation (BNS8317997).The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private ones of the authors and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Department of Defense or the Uniformed Services Universi...

This study examined the hypothesis that chronic stress contributes to heightened cardiovascular reactivity. Chronic stress was operationalized as crowding stress associated with commercial-residential mixes in high-density neighborhoods. Seventeen residents of crowded neighborhoods and 24 residents of uncrowded neighborhoods worked on a challenging task while blood pressure and heart rate were measured. Self-report and biochemical measures indicated that the two groups differed in level of chronic stress. Results also indicated that chronic stress contributes to cardiovascular reactivity. Crowded residents showed greater increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate and took longer to return to baseline than did uncrowded residents. The few differences found between Type A and Type B residents were found only in the low-stress group.

The nature of acute and chronic stress is explored, including analysis of three different ways of categorizing the duration of a stressful episode: the duration of the physical stressor, the duration of threat perception or demand, and the persistence of response. Of particular interest here are situations characterized by brief stressor exposure but long‐term threat perception and/ or stress response. Traumatic events are ordinarily very brief but frequently give rise to chronic threat and stubborn response patterns. In many of these cases, distress clearly outlives the event and the “normal” postevent recovery period. Possible mechanisms for such situations are discussed, as are implications for the study of traumatic stress.

The relationship between stress and control for residents at Three Mile Island (TMI) was examined. TMI was studied because of the technological nature of the accident there. Residents of Frederick, Maryland, more than 80 miles from TMI, were used as a comparison group. Control‐related problems were measured using questionnaires and a behavioral task. Stress levels were determined using self‐report, behavioral, and biochemical measures. Residents at TMI reported more loss of control and performed more poorly on the behavioral task than did comparison subjects. Subjects at TMI reporting more loss of control had more stress‐associated symptoms than did comparison subjects and subjects at TMI not experiencing as many control‐related problems.