Social disruption and psychological stress in an Alaskan fishing community: The impact of the Exxon Valdex Oil Spill

The study of the social impacts of technological accidents is fast becoming an area of interdisciplinary research for both basic and applied social scientists. Technological accidents such as the Exxon Valdez spill create man-made disaster situations which threaten community survival and the well-being and quality of life of community residents. The most severe social impacts of man-made disasters occur in communities which not only depend upon the integrity and safety of their local environment for existence, but also follow a life-style which is directly supported by the use of renewable resources from the ecosystem. The broad concept of "social impact" is conceptualized in this research in terms of three components 1) economic impacts; 2) psychosocial impacts and; 3) cultural impacts. More specifically, this research report focuses on cultural and psychological impacts identified through comparisons of "control" and "impact community" data. Two general post-traumatic stress areas are contrasted for sixteen separate indicators 1) intrusive recollections; and 2) avoidance behavior (Diagnostic and Statistical manual of Mental Disorders, 1987). In addition, patterns of social disruption were contrasted for both communities. A disaster impact assessment design was developed which included: 1) a random sample of Cordova households (impact community, n=118); 2) an ethnographic network sample of Native Alaskans, (n=32) and; 3) a random sample of Petersburg residents (control community, n=73). The data analysis revealed that significantly more social disruption was experienced in the impact community from comparisons to the control community. Specifically, social disruption of future plans and work activities were more pronounced in the impact community. In terms of patterns of post-traumatic stress, impact community residents experienced more trauma in terms of haVing more recollections of the spill, behaviors that reflected the avoidance of stimuli associated with the spill and a general diminished responsiveness or "numbness" to activities associated with the spill. Only one out of sixteen comparisons was found not to be statistically significant in the analysis. These findings suggest a maximum amount of social disruption resulted from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in the impact community. This disruption and continuing observance of extreme ecosystem stress produced high-levels of post-traumatic stress existing five to eight months after the spill. Given that previous research indicates that man-made disasters manifest long-term social psychological impacts on communities, continued monitoring and programmatic responses to these findings are needed. Social Disruption and Psychological Stress in an Alaskan Fishing Community: The Impact of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill