Community Attachment and Negative Affective States in the Context of the BPDeepwater HorizonDisaster

Abstract

This study advances research on the mental health impacts of disasters by examining how a mainstay of the sociological literature, community attachment, influences negative affective states such as anxiety and fear stimulated by a technological disaster. Survey data were collected in three coastal Louisiana parishes (counties) geographically proximate to the BP oil spill of 2010 while the oil was still flowing. The data reveal that community attachment is associated with higher levels of negative affect. This finding holds for those tied to the fishing and seafood industry, those tied to the oil industry, and those having no immediate links to either industry. These results highlight that although community attachment is essential for community resilience, it can also be disruptive to individual well-being when technological disasters occur in communities dependent on renewable and natural resources.

The Exxon and BP oil spills: a comparison of psychosocial impacts

“…Researchers and practitioners throughout the affected region began to document and observe psychosocial effects related to the spill shortly after they mobilized. Our research contributes to this growing body of literature on the deleterious mental health effects that were associated with the BP oil disaster (e.g., see Abramson et al 2010;Gill et al 2012;Grattan et al 2011;Lee andBlanchard 2010, 2012;Shenesey et al 2012;Wright et al 2012). Results from a 2010 Gallup Poll conducted approximately 4 months after the blowout revealed a 25.6 % increase in diagnoses of clinical depression among Gulf Coast residents (Witters 2010).…”

“…The authors noted that strong community attachment can cause stress in the event of a technological disaster (Lee and Blanchard 2012). Among other things, they conclude that high levels of attachment tend to generate worry about community well-being and threats to that well-being.…”

“…In a 2010 study of Louisiana residents by Lee and Blanchard (2010), respondents reported elevated levels of stress in the aftermath of the spill and 80 % indicated concern about their economic futures. The authors noted that strong community attachment can cause stress in the event of a technological disaster (Lee and Blanchard 2012).…”

Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Coastal Residents After Multiple Disasters

“…7,8 Moreover, the oil spill has threatened the economy, commercial fishing industry, and cultural heritage of those whose livelihood depends on natural renewable resources. [9][10][11] Understanding the long-term health consequences of consecutive catastrophic events is a pressing challenge from both psychological and public health perspectives. For instance, elevations in the prevalence of symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress among residents of disaster-affected communities highlight the need for coordinated responses among mental health professionals, local officials, and urban planners to promote resilience and prepare for future disasters.…”

“…4,6 There is ample evidence of health vulnerabilities among commercial fishers with recent trauma related to the BP oil spill. 4,7,10,12 Cherry and her colleagues have shown that Katrina-related stressors and prior lifetime traumatic events predicted different styles of coping with oil spill stress for commercial fishers, although only avoidant coping was associated with increased risk of depression and post-traumatic stress. 13 Cherry et al's first findings suggest that multiple disasters are devastating for coastal residents, particularly residents with economic ties to the commercial fishing industry.…”