IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i12p7143-d836058.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Changing Home: A Cross-Sectional Study on Environmental Degradation, Resettlement and Psychological Distress in a Western German Coal-Mining Region

Author

Listed:
  • Theresa Krüger

    (Institute for Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52070 Aachen, Germany)

  • Thomas Kraus

    (Institute for Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52070 Aachen, Germany)

  • Andrea Kaifie

    (Institute for Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52070 Aachen, Germany)

Abstract

Unwelcome environmental changes can lead to psychological distress, known as “solastalgia”. In Germany, the open-pit mining of brown coal results in environmental changes as well as in the resettlement of adjacent villages. In this study, we investigated the risk of open-pit mining for solastalgia and psychological disorders (e.g., depression, generalized anxiety and somatization) in local communities. The current residents and resettlers from two German open-pit mines were surveyed concerning environmental stressors, place attachment, impacts and mental health status. In total, 620 people responded, including 181 resettlers, 114 people from villages threatened by resettlement and 325 people from non-threatened villages near an open-pit mine. All groups self-reported high levels of psychological distress, approximately ranging between 2–7.5 times above the population average. Respondents from resettlement-threatened villages showed the worst mental health status, with 52.7% indicating at least moderate somatization levels (score sum > 9), compared to 28% among resettlers. We observed a mean PHQ depression score of 7.9 (SD 5.9) for people from resettlement-threatened villages, 7.4 (SD 6.0) for people from not-threatened villages, compared to 5.0 (SD 6.5) for already resettled people ( p < 0.001). In conclusion, the degradation and loss of the home environment caused by open-pit mining was associated with an increased prevalence of depressive, anxious and somatoform symptoms in local communities. This reveals a need for further in-depth research, targeted psychosocial support and improved policy frameworks, in favor of residents’ and resettlers’ mental health.

Suggested Citation

  • Theresa Krüger & Thomas Kraus & Andrea Kaifie, 2022. "A Changing Home: A Cross-Sectional Study on Environmental Degradation, Resettlement and Psychological Distress in a Western German Coal-Mining Region," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-23, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:12:p:7143-:d:836058
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/12/7143/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/12/7143/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hannah Comtesse & Verena Ertl & Sophie M. C. Hengst & Rita Rosner & Geert E. Smid, 2021. "Ecological Grief as a Response to Environmental Change: A Mental Health Risk or Functional Response?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-10, January.
    2. Margot W. Parkes & Sandra Allison & Henry G. Harder & Dawn Hoogeveen & Diana Kutzner & Melissa Aalhus & Evan Adams & Lindsay Beck & Ben Brisbois & Chris G. Buse & Annika Chiasson & Donald C. Cole & Sh, 2019. "Addressing the Environmental, Community, and Health Impacts of Resource Development: Challenges across Scales, Sectors, and Sites," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-27, March.
    3. Lindsay P. Galway & Thomas Beery & Kelsey Jones-Casey & Kirsti Tasala, 2019. "Mapping the Solastalgia Literature: A Scoping Review Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-24, July.
    4. Luginaah, Isaac N. & Martin Taylor, S. & Elliott, Susan J. & Eyles, John D., 2002. "Community reappraisal of the perceived health effects of a petroleum refinery," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 55(1), pages 47-61, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wei Zhang & Dongxiao Gu & Yuguang Xie & Aida Khakimova & Oleg Zolotarev, 2023. "How Do COVID-19 Risk, Life-Safety Risk, Job Insecurity, and Work–Family Conflict Affect Miner Performance? Health-Anxiety and Job-Anxiety Perspectives," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-21, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Panu Pihkala, 2022. "The Process of Eco-Anxiety and Ecological Grief: A Narrative Review and a New Proposal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-53, December.
    2. Panu Pihkala, 2024. "Ecological Sorrow: Types of Grief and Loss in Ecological Grief," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-44, January.
    3. Trish Tupou & Jemaima Tiatia-Siau & Christina Newport & Fiona Langridge & Suelaki Tiatia, 2023. "Is the Concept of Solastalgia Meaningful to Pacific Communities Experiencing Mental Health Distress Due to Climate Change? An Initial Exploration," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(22), pages 1-11, November.
    4. Magda Brattoli & Antonio Mazzone & Roberto Giua & Giorgio Assennato & Gianluigi De Gennaro, 2016. "Automated Collection of Real-Time Alerts of Citizens as a Useful Tool to Continuously Monitor Malodorous Emissions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-11, February.
    5. Allison Williams & Peter Kitchen, 2012. "Sense of Place and Health in Hamilton, Ontario: A Case Study," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 108(2), pages 257-276, September.
    6. Walker, Chad & Baxter, Jamie & Ouellette, Danielle, 2015. "Adding insult to injury: The development of psychosocial stress in Ontario wind turbine communities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 358-365.
    7. Mohamed Eltarkawe & Shelly Miller, 2019. "Industrial Odor Source Identification Based on Wind Direction and Social Participation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-18, April.
    8. Lennart Reifels & Michel L. A. Dückers, 2023. "Disaster Mental Health Risk Reduction: Appraising Disaster Mental Health Research as If Risk Mattered," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(11), pages 1-14, May.
    9. Mohamed A. Eltarkawe & Shelly L. Miller, 2018. "The Impact of Industrial Odors on the Subjective Well-Being of Communities in Colorado," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-24, May.
    10. Magdalena Wojnarowska & Mariusz Sołtysik & Adam Sagan & Jadwiga Stobiecka & Jarosław Plichta & Grażyna Plichta, 2020. "Impact of Odor Nuisance on Preferred Place of Residence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-19, April.
    11. Paolo Lauriola & Helen Crabbe & Behrooz Behbod & Fuyuen Yip & Sylvia Medina & Jan C. Semenza & Sotiris Vardoulakis & Dan Kass & Ariana Zeka & Irma Khonelidze & Matthew Ashworth & Kees de Hoogh & Xiaom, 2020. "Advancing Global Health through Environmental and Public Health Tracking," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-19, March.
    12. Jerome Nriagu & Emilia A. Udofia & Ibanga Ekong & Godwin Ebuk, 2016. "Health Risks Associated with Oil Pollution in the Niger Delta, Nigeria," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-23, March.
    13. Vanessa Sloan Morgan & Dawn Hoogeveen & May Farrales & Maya K Gislason & Margot W Parkes & Henry G Harder, 2021. "Resource extraction and intersectoral research: Engaging accountable relations in the Environment Community Health Observatory Network," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 39(5), pages 972-992, August.
    14. Oiamo, Tor H. & Luginaah, Isaac N. & Baxter, Jamie, 2015. "Cumulative effects of noise and odour annoyances on environmental and health related quality of life," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 191-203.
    15. Mirosław Szyłak-Szydłowski, 2021. "Evaluation of Inoculated Waste Biological Stabilization Degree by Olfactometric Methods," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-15, March.
    16. Diego Guidolin & Deanna Anderlini & Guido Maura & Manuela Marcoli & Pietro Cortelli & Giovanna Calandra-Buonaura & Amina S. Woods & Luigi F. Agnati, 2019. "A New Integrative Theory of Brain-Body-Ecosystem Medicine: From the Hippocratic Holistic View of Medicine to Our Modern Society," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-20, August.
    17. Gloria Freschi & Marialuisa Menegatto & Adriano Zamperini, 2023. "How Can Psychology Contribute to Climate Change Governance? A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-24, September.
    18. Gösta Axelsson & Leo Stockfelt & Eva Andersson & Anita Gidlof-Gunnarsson & Gerd Sallsten & Lars Barregard, 2013. "Annoyance and Worry in a Petrochemical Industrial Area—Prevalence, Time Trends and Risk Indicators," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-21, April.
    19. Shona C. Easton-Gomez & Mike Mouritz & Jessica K. Breadsell, 2022. "Enhancing Emotional Resilience in the Face of Climate Change Adversity: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-23, October.
    20. Shankardass, Ketan & Robertson, Colin & Shaughnessy, Krystelle & Sykora, Martin & Feick, Rob, 2019. "A unified ecological framework for studying effects of digital places on well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 227(C), pages 119-127.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:12:p:7143-:d:836058. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.