Ecological grief in the Fernald Community Cohort: A pilot study

Abstract

Ecological grief is a psychological response to environmental loss. Ecological grief is especially pronounced in people with close relationships with the environment. The Fernald Community Cohort (FCC) included people who lived near a uranium processing site, also known as the Feed Material Production Center (FMPC), in Fernald, Ohio. The FMPC leaked contaminants such as uranium into the environment, consequently threatening the health, safety, and long-term emotional well-being of people who lived nearby. This study aimed to examine the degree of ecological grief reported by the FCC participants and to discern their degree of ecological grief by residential proximity (how close they lived) to the FMPC, estimated uranium exposure, and cancer diagnosis. Participants were invited to complete a questionnaire to assess their degree of ecological grief. Other variables were collected from the existing FCC database. Ecological grief was prevalent among 55.3% of respondents. A direct relationship between ecological grief, residential proximity, and cancer diagnosis was found, with an indirect relationship between ecological grief and uranium exposure. The strongest predictor of ecological grief was a cancer diagnosis. The findings warrant future studies to mitigate the psychological impact of environmental loss on FCC participants.