Department of Anthropology, History and Social Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0850, USA.
Department of Economics, The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.
J Public Health (Oxf). 2021 Dec 10;43(4):839-845. doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdaa157.
Water insecurity poses a significant global challenge to health and development. While the biophysical and economic impacts of inadequate water and sanitation are well documented, the complex emotional and social tolls of water insecurity are less understood- particularly in the global North. In this article, we advance understandings of the psychosocial dimensions of water insecurity in Detroit, MI, where an estimated 100 000 households have been disconnected from water and sanitation services since the city declared bankruptcy in 2013.
A community-based participatory research study was conducted among residents of a local food pantry. A culturally relevant measure of water insecurity was developed through ethnographic engagement, then administered alongside the Kessler Psychological Distress scale.
Our models reveal a substantial, statistically significant effect of water insecurity on psychological distress. Additionally, financial stress in paying for water and sanitation produces significant distress, even independent of water supply status.
Curtailing water and sanitation access has complex, intersecting effects, including implications for community mental health. Rapidly rising utility rates across the USA, in the context of growing poverty, underscore the urgency of addressing this issue. The present study is the first we know of in the USA to examine the relationship between water insecurity and psychosocial distress.
水不安全对健康和发展构成了重大的全球性挑战。虽然水和卫生设施不足的生理和经济影响已有充分记录，但水不安全对情绪和社会的复杂影响却知之甚少-特别是在全球北方。在本文中，我们深入了解了密歇根州底特律水不安全的社会心理层面，自 2013 年该市宣布破产以来，估计有 10 万户家庭已经与水和卫生服务脱节。
在当地食品储藏室的居民中进行了一项基于社区的参与式研究。通过民族志参与制定了一种具有文化相关性的水不安全衡量标准，然后与凯斯勒心理困扰量表一起进行管理。
我们的模型显示，水不安全对心理困扰有实质性的、统计学上显著的影响。此外，支付水和卫生费用的经济压力即使独立于供水状况也会产生显著的困扰。
削减水和卫生设施的获取途径会产生复杂的、相互交织的影响，包括对社区心理健康的影响。在美国，水电费迅速上涨，贫困加剧，突显了解决这一问题的紧迫性。本研究是我们所知的美国第一份研究水不安全与心理困扰之间关系的研究。
