Abstract
In July 2013, a train carrying crude oil derailed in Lac-Mégantic (Canada). This disaster provoked a major fire, 47 deaths, the destruction of 44 buildings, a massive evacuation, and an unparalleled oil spill. Since 2013, Public Health has undertaken several actions to address this challenging situation, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Community-based surveys were conducted in Lac-Mégantic in 2014, 2015 and 2018. The first two surveys showed persistent and widespread health needs. Inspired by a salutogenic approach, Public Health has shifted its focus from health protection to health promotion. In 2016, a Day of Reflection was organized during which a map of community assets and an action plan for the community recovery were co-constructed with local stakeholders. The creation of an Outreach Team is an important outcome of this collective reflection. This team aims to enhance resilience and adaptive capacity. Several promising initiatives arose from the action plan—all of which greatly contributed to mobilize the community. Interestingly, the 2018 survey suggests that the situation is now evolving positively. This case study stresses the importance of recognizing community members as assets, rather than victims, and seeking a better balance between health protection and health promotion approaches.
Highlights
In the face of disasters, it is important to recognize that the operational domain of public health in affected communities extends beyond health protection and disease prevention to include promotion of health and well-being
Through the case of the Lac-Mégantic train derailment tragedy, we aim to discuss how salutogenesis can be used as a relevant and complementary framework in disaster settings, and how it can be incorporated into post-disaster recovery strategies to promote resilience
The objectives of this case study are to: (1) describe the salutogenic approach applied to the Lac-Mégantic train derailment, (2) present the long-term psychosocial outcomes of this disaster, and (3) discuss some benefits observed from applying a salutogenic approach in a post-disaster landscape
Summary
Mélissa Généreux 1,2, * , Mathieu Roy 1,3 , Tracey O’Sullivan 4 and Danielle Maltais 5. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1H5N4, Canada. Received: 29 January 2020; Accepted: 20 February 2020; Published: 25 February 2020
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