Main description:

When an accident involves many people and when its consequences are many and serious, we speak of a disaster. Disasters have the same causal fac tors as accidents: they differ from accidents by the gravity of consequences, not by causes. The action of a single individual may result in thousands of deaths and huge financial losses. The metal fatigue of a screw may, by a chain of events, cause an explosion killing hundreds or lead to a break in a dam and a devastating flood. The fact that minor and unpredictable acts can lead to disasters is im portant because it allows us to predict that the years to come will bring with them more disasters with ever more severe consequences. The density ofhu man populations is growing. By the year 2025 some four fifths of the world's population will be living in urban settings. An explosion or a gas leak in a densely populated area will cause incomparably more damage than a simi lar event in a rural area. Modern technology is immensely powerful (and its power is continuing to grow) and can be used in a disastrous manner. Ag gression is just as possible now as it was in the past, but the tools of aggression are vastly more dangerous than ever before. This book, edited by Johan M. Havenaar, Julie G. Cwikel, and Evelyn J. Bromet, is therefore very timely.

Contents:

Part I: General Introduction to the Theme. 1. Ecological Disaster: a Concern for the Future; J.M. Havenaar. 2. Public Health Aspects of Chemical Accidents. An Overview; P.J. Baxter. 3. Understanding Psychological and Societal Response to Toxic Hazards. The Psychological Response of Individuals, Groups, Authorities and Media; J.G. Cwikel, et al. Part II: Case Examples of Ecological Disasters. 4. Psychological Response of Mothers of Young Children to the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Accidents One Decade Later; E.J. Bromet, L. Litcher. 5. The Chaotic Aftermath of an Airplane Crash in Amsterdam: a Second Disaster; J. Yzermans, B. Gersons. 6. Ten Years on: What do we know about the Gulf War Syndrome? S. Wessely. 7. The Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster: Impact on Mental Health; S. Murthy. 8. Psychological and Physical Health Effects of the 1995 Sarin Attack in the Tokyo Subway System; N. Asukai, K. Maekawa. 9. Psycho-social Health and Well-being in the Aral Sea Area. Results from a Survey in an Area of Slow Environmental Degradation; J. van der Meer, et al. Part III: Dealing with Ecological Disaster. 10. Methodological Issues in the Investigation of Chemical Incidents; H.M. Fielder, et al. 11. Responding to the Psychosocial Effects of Toxic Disaster: Policy Initiatives, Constraints and Challenges; S.M. Becker. 12. Voices from the Inside - Psychological Responses to Toxic Disasters; A. Speckhard. 13. Disasters and the Selection of Public Health Priorities: A Perspective from Developing Countries; J. de Jong. 14. Epilogue: Lessons Learned and Unresolved Issues; J.M. Havenaar, et al. Index.