Toxic Turmoil: Psychological and Societal Consequences of Ecological Disasters (Springer Series on Stress and Coping)

"When an accident involves many people and when its consequences are many and serious, we speak of a disaster. Disasters have the same causal facƯ tors as accidents: they differ from accidents by the gravity of consequences, not by causes. The action of a single individual may result in thousands of deaths and huge financial losses. The metal fatigue of a screw may, by a chain of events, cause an explosion killing hundreds or lead to a break in a dam and a devastating flood. The fact that minor and unpredictable acts can lead to disasters is imƯ portant because it allows us to predict that the years to come will bring with them more disasters with ever more severe consequences. The density ofhuƯ man populations is growing. By the year 2025 some four fifths of the world's population will be living in urban settings. An explosion or a gas leak in a densely populated area will cause incomparably more damage than a simiƯ lar event in a rural area. Modern technology is immensely powerful (and its power is continuing to grow) and can be used in a disastrous manner. AgƯ gression is just as possible now as it was in the past, but the tools of aggression are vastly more dangerous than ever before. This book, edited by Johan M. Havenaar, Julie G. Cwikel, and Evelyn J. Bromet, is therefore very timely"--Font no determinada Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Ecological Disaster....Pages 3-18 Public Health Aspects of Chemical Catastrophes....Pages 19-37 Understanding the Psychological and Societal Response of Individuals, Groups, Authorities, and Media to Toxic Hazards....Pages 39-65 Front Matter....Pages 67-67 Psychological Response of Mothers of Young Children to the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Accidents One Decade Later....Pages 69-84 The Chaotic Aftermath of an Airplane Crash in Amsterdam....Pages 85-99 The Gulf War and Its Aftermath....Pages 101-127 Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster....Pages 129-148 Psychological and Physical Health Effects of the 1995 Sarin Attack in the Tokyo Subway System....Pages 149-162 Perceived Health and Psychosocial Well-Being in the Aral Sea Area....Pages 163-182 Front Matter....Pages 183-183 Methodological Issues in the Investigation of Chemical Accidents....Pages 185-197 Responding to the Psychosocial Effects of Toxic Disaster....Pages 199-216 Voices from the Inside....Pages 217-236 Disasters and the Selection of Public Mental Health Priorities....Pages 237-258 Epilogue....Pages 259-271 Back Matter....Pages 273-279 This book presents an overview of research on the psychological and societal consequences of ecological disasters. It gives in-depth case studies on most of the major incidents that have occurred in the 1980s and 1990s. It summarizes the accumulated knowledge in this area and identifies areas of future research. It can serve as a resource for practitioners and policymakers dealing with current and future ecological calamities and may help them to define an adequate response to the complex public health challenges these incidents represent