Citation

Maltais D, Généreux M, Roy M, Fortin G, Pouliot E, Bergeron-Leclerc C, Cherblanc J, Labra O, Lachance L, Paquette L. Inquiry (Rochester, NY) 2022; 59: e469580221125765.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Inquiry Journal and Excellus Health Plan)

DOI

10.1177/00469580221125765

PMID

36178048

Abstract

In July 2013, a train derailment profoundly disrupted the tranquility of the population of Lac-Mégantic for months and even years. In 2016, we conducted a representative population-based survey among 387 people from Lac-Mégantic and 413 from other municipalities with the aim to document psychological and physical health of adults exposed to the disaster. This article examines differences between 3 groups of respondents: those who were highly, moderately or not exposed to the train accident. Khi Square analyses, odds ratios and logistic regressions were used to examine differences between the 3 groups of respondents (high, moderate and no exposure).

RESULTS show that the level of exposure to this technological disaster is strongly associated with psychological suffering, post-traumatic growth, physical heath, drinking patterns, and use of prescribed and non-prescribed drugs. We can explain these results by the nature and cause of the event as well as its consequences.

Language: en

Keywords

post-traumatic stress disorder; drinking patterns; post-disaster mental health; post-traumatic growth; technological disaster; train derailment