Solastalgia's mourning and the slowly evolving effect of asbestos pollution: A qualitative study in Italy

Our plain-English summary of Solastalgia's mourning and the slowly evolving effect of asbestos pollution: A qualitative study in Italy, by I. Testoni, L. Mauchigna, G.L. Marinoni, et al (Heliyon, 2019).

The study

• Authors: I. Testoni, L. Mauchigna, G.L. Marinoni, A. Zamperini, M. Bucuță, G. Dima
• Journal: Heliyon
• Published: 2019;5(12):e03024
• Cited by: 8 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

Abstract

In Italy, the problem of asbestos pollution is increasing in severity. In fact, in recent years, the number of people affected by asbestos-related illnesses has been growing because of the fibre's slowly evolving effects and its progressive pollution in the environment adjacent to the places where it is processed. Even though the physical consequences of asbestos are now quite clear, few studies have examined the psychological consequences of this kind of disaster. Since it is difficult to perceive its pathogenicity in daily life, this study was conducted in the affected areas of north-eastern Italy, using the qualitative research in psychology with 51 persons who experienced asbestos-related illnesses (19 sick persons and 37 relatives of sick persons). Their narratives described being rooted in a space contaminated by an invisible enemy. In particular, attention was paid to the consequent solastalgia, a kind of mourning arising from loss of place attachment. Results of the qualitative analysis revealed how the different phases of the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross DABDA (Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance) model of coping with death constitute such feelings, whereas the dual-process model of Stroebe and Schut emphasised how these people seem to be loss oriented because of their perceived lack of community restoration. A discussion of the relationships between attribution of responsibility, entirely external and mostly inscribed in the DABDA categories of ‛anger' and ‛acceptance', is presented, with further considerations about mourning and the need to improve specific psychological support in this field of environmental disaster.

© 2019 The Author(s).

In plain English

This qualitative psychology study interviewed people in an asbestos-affected area of north-eastern Italy about their emotional experience of asbestos-related illness. The article reports 51 participants: 19 sick persons (nine with benign and 10 with malignant tumours) and 37 relatives, figures that add to 56 without explanation. All the illnesses were described as workplace-related. Participants were recruited through health departments and associations, then by snowball sampling, and were interviewed in depth, usually at home. Three researchers coded the transcripts into 23 codes grouped under the five Kübler-Ross stages of coping with death: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. In anger narratives, blame fell on companies, authorities and the health system, and nobody blamed themselves. In acceptance narratives, nobody was considered guilty. The authors found no narratives about restoring meaningful places or community. They concluded that sick persons and relatives felt substantial hopelessness, were 'loss oriented', and lacked psychological support. They noted that the participants cannot represent people not yet facing asbestos disease or death.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Qualitative psychology study using in-depth, tape-recorded interviews, analysed with Atlas-ti software and categorised using the Kübler-Ross DABDA model of coping with death
• Who was studied: Reported as 51 persons (average age 67, SD 13; 26 males, 25 females) living in north-eastern Italy (the area between Gorizia, Monfalcone and Trieste): 19 sick persons (nine with benign tumours, 10 with malignant tumours) and 37 relatives of sick persons. They were recruited via territorial health departments and associations, followed by snowball sampling. Interview dates are not given.
• Exposure: Asbestos-related illness, which participants experienced themselves or in a relative. All of these illnesses were described as related to the workplace. Fibre types and doses are not specified.
• Main results:
  • The analysis identified 23 codes, grouped into the five DABDA categories: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
  • Denial narratives centred on shock and emotional closure.
  • In anger narratives, no participant blamed themselves. Blame went first to the industries and companies that used asbestos, and also to institutions, public authorities and the health system.
  • Institutions, public authorities and the health system were also blamed.
  • Bargaining narratives centred on hope and on social strategies for improving resilience.
  • Depression narratives centred on hopelessness and apathy.
  • In acceptance narratives, resignation came with no attribution of responsibility to anyone.
  • The narratives contained nothing resembling the restoration of meaningful places, so the authors' planned reading based on the dual-process model was only partly supported.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that there is substantial hopelessness in this area, and that sick persons and their relatives must cope without any psychological support because the situation is still underestimated.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The participants cannot represent people who do not yet perceive the toxic effect of asbestos pollution.
  • The study did not examine in depth how social and personal identity relate to place attachment.

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Attribution.

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