Water insecurity and psychosocial distress: case study of the Detroit water shutoffs
Water insecurity and psychosocial distress: case study of the Detroit water shutoffs
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DOI：
10.1093/pubmed/fdaa157
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发表时间：
2021-12-10
影响因子：
4.4
通讯作者：
Bouier, Roslyn
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Gaber, Nadia;Silva, Andrew;Bouier, Roslyn
背景 水不安全对全球健康和发展构成重大挑战。虽然水和卫生设施不足所造成的生物物理和经济影响已得到充分记录，但水不安全所造成的复杂的情感和社会代价却鲜为人知——尤其是在北半球国家。在本文中，我们加深了对密歇根州底特律市水不安全的心理社会层面的理解，自 2013 年该市宣布破产以来，估计有 10 万户家庭失去了供水和卫生服务。 方法 在当地食品储藏室的居民中进行了一项基于社区的参与性研究。通过民族志参与制定了与文化相关的水不安全衡量标准，然后与凯斯勒心理困扰量表一起实施。结果我们的模型揭示了水不安全对心理困扰的显着影响。此外，即使与供水状况无关，支付水和卫生设施费用的财务压力也会造成严重的困扰。结论 限制水和卫生设施的获取具有复杂、交叉的影响，包括对社区心理健康的影响。在贫困日益严重的背景下，美国各地的公用事业费率迅速上升，凸显了解决这一问题的紧迫性。据我们所知，本研究是美国第一项探讨水不安全与社会心理困扰之间关系的研究。
Background Water insecurity poses a significant global challenge to health and development. While the biophysical and economic impacts of inadequate water and sanitation are well documented, the complex emotional and social tolls of water insecurity are less understood- particularly in the global North. In this article, we advance understandings of the psychosocial dimensions of water insecurity in Detroit, MI, where an estimated 100 000 households have been disconnected from water and sanitation services since the city declared bankruptcy in 2013. Methods A community-based participatory research study was conducted among residents of a local food pantry. A culturally relevant measure of water insecurity was developed through ethnographic engagement, then administered alongside the Kessler Psychological Distress scale. Results Our models reveal a substantial, statistically significant effect of water insecurity on psychological distress. Additionally, financial stress in paying for water and sanitation produces significant distress, even independent of water supply status. Conclusions Curtailing water and sanitation access has complex, intersecting effects, including implications for community mental health. Rapidly rising utility rates across the USA, in the context of growing poverty, underscore the urgency of addressing this issue. The present study is the first we know of in the USA to examine the relationship between water insecurity and psychosocial distress.