Public health strategies to prevent the damaging effects of chronic stress are important because people may become physically or psychologically ill under those conditions, Dr. Tucker said. Psychological research shows that levels of depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder may increase in affected communities. I combat soldiers and is a result of intense and overwhelming stress. This disorder is characterized by recurrent and intrusive thoughts, a constant reliving of the stressful event. You have to look at individual patients and rule out an organic problem first.
Some psychological illnesses have physical causes associated with exposure to hazardous substances.
Some organochlorine compounds found in pesticides can cause depression, and exposure to mercury can cause neurologic disturbances, which may manifest as psychological symptoms, Dr. Tucker said. Once physical causes for an illness have been ruled out, tests for measuring stress, depression, and anxiety are available. The Impact of Events Scale and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Scale are two tests that can be used to determine if a person is experiencing adverse psychological effects. Last September, Dr. Tucker met with federal environmental and mental health professionals in Atlanta to discuss the psychological effects project. This approach includes identifying strengths of the community and using them to heal and resolve problems.