Community Stress, Psychosocial Hazards, and EPA Decision-Making in Communities Impacted by Chronic Technological Disasters.

COMMUNITIES; PSYCHOLOGICAL stress; DECISION making methodology; ADAPTABILITY (Personality); PSYCHOLOGICAL adaptation; ATTITUDE (Psychology); CONCEPTUAL structures; CASE studies; RISK assessment; RISK management in business; RISK perception; UNITED States. Environmental Protection Agency; ENVIRONMENTAL exposure; SOCIOECONOMIC factors; PSYCHOLOGY

Psychosocial stress has emerged as an important consideration in managing environmental health risks. Stress has adverse impacts on health and may interact with environmental hazards to increase health risk. This article's primary objective was to explore psychosocial stress related to environmental contamination. We hypothesized that knowledge about stress should be used in conjunction with chemical risk assessment to inform environmental risk management decisions. Knowledge ofpsychosocialstressatcontaminated sites began by exploring the relationships among social capital, collective efficacy, and contamination at the community level. We discussed stress at the family and individual levels, focusing on stress proliferation, available resources, and coping styles and mechanisms. Wethenmaderecommendations on how to improve the use of information on psychosocial stress in environmental decision-making, particularly in communities facing chronic technological disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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