Associations between self‐reported respiratory symptoms and non‐specific psychological distress following exposure to a prolonged landscape fire

Abstract

We investigated the association between respiratory symptoms and psychological distress in the context of a prolonged smoke event, and evaluated whether smoke exposure, or pre‐existing respiratory and mental health conditions, influenced the association. Three thousand ninety‐six residents of a rural town heavily exposed to smoke from the 6‐week Hazelwood coal mine fire, and 960 residents of a nearby unexposed town, completed Kessler's psychological distress questionnaire (K10) and a modified European Community Respiratory Health Survey. Logistic regression models evaluated associations between distress and respiratory symptoms, with interactions fitted to evaluate effect modification. Smoke exposed participants reported higher levels of distress than those unexposed, and participants reporting respiratory symptoms recorded higher levels of distress than participants without respiratory symptoms, irrespective of exposure. 5‐unit increments in K10 scores were associated with 21%–48% increases in the odds of reporting respiratory symptoms. There were significant interactions with pre‐existing asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and mental health conditions, but not with smoke exposure. Although participants with pre‐existing conditions were more likely to report respiratory symptoms, increasing distress was most strongly associated with respiratory symptoms among those without pre‐existing conditions. Communities exposed to landscape fire smoke could benefit from interventions to reduce both psychological and respiratory distress.

Somatic symptoms, psychological distress and trauma after disasters: lessons from the 2014 Hazelwood mine fire and 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires

“…The association between somatic symptoms and trauma exposure has been reported following disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes (8). General psychological distress was also associated with higher rates of self-reported respiratory symptoms in the earlier Hazelwood Health Study Adult Survey (19). This new analysis suggests that similar associations with psychological distress exist for other physical symptoms and is an area of concern following recurring smoke exposure from bushfires.…”

Assessing the association between daily self-reported health symptoms and mental health among respiratory patients during high-pollution period in Thailand

“…There is plenty of evidence indicating that a person's mental health can affect respiratory sensations, and some individuals may experience respiratory symptoms regardless of the presence of a respiratory ailment [3]. However, it is possible that certain chronic respiratory conditions may exhibit pertinent mental health symptoms, and that some respiratory conditions may be impacted by psychological distress [4]. The connections between respiratory health, illness, and mental health are intricate and may have implications for clinical practice.…”