Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Community-Level Resiliency Intervention in a Post-disaster Environment: The Three Mile Island Health and Environmental Information Series—Theoretical Assumptions, Implementation, and Participant Response

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Resilience in Children, Adolescents, and Adults

Part of the book series: The Springer Series on Human Exceptionality ((SSHE))

  • 7386 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter presents a case illustration of a community-level resiliency intervention in a post-disaster environment. The intervention described was the Three Mile Island Health and Environmental Information Series, a community course developed to provide information pertaining to unanswered questions which had remained among TMI community members since the March 28, 1979 nuclear accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear generating facility. This intervention is described within the context of unique post-disaster psychosocial circumstances of the community at that time which contributed to chronic stress. These conditions included lack of clear, understandable information about the accident and its aftermath as well as loss of faith in experts associated with conflicting and incomplete information delivered by officials at the time of the accident. This experience has been referred to as an “information crisis” in the literature.

Please do not cite without permission of the author.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Averill, J. R., O’Brien, L., & DeWitt, G. W. (1977). The influence of response effectiveness on the preference for warning and on physiological stress reactions. Journal of Personality, 45, 396–418.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Averill, J. R., & Rosenn, M. (1972). Vigilant and non-vigilant coping strategies and psych- physiological stress reactions during the anticipation of an electric shock. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 23, 128–141.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baum, A., Gatchel, R., & Schaeffer, N. (1983). Emotion, behavior and physiological effects of chronic stress at Three Mile Island. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51, 656–672.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berlyne, D. E. (1960). Conflict arousal and curiosity. New York: McGraw Hill.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Bonanno, G. A. (2004). Have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive events? The American Psychologist, 59(1), 20–28.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bromet, E. (1980). Three Mile Island: Mental health findings. Pittsburgh, PA: Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic and the University of Pittsburgh.

    Google Scholar 

  • Calvert-Boyanowsky, J., & Leventhal, H. (1960). The role of information in attenuating behavioral response to stress: A reinterpretation of the misattribution phenomenon. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32, 214–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charney, D. (2004). Psychobiological mechanisms of resilience and vulnerability: Implications for successful adaptation to extreme stress. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 161, 195–216.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Connor, K. M., & Davidson, J. R. T. (2003). Development of a new resilience scale: The Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC). Depression and Anxiety, 18, 76–82.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson, L., & Baum, A. (1980). Chronic stress and post-traumatic stress disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 303–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson L, Baum A, Collins D. (1982) Stress and control-related problems at Three Mile Island. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 12, 349–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dohrenwend, B. P., Dohrenwend, B. S., Kasl, S. V., & Warheit, G. J. (1979). Report of the task force on behavioral effects of the president’s commission on the accident at Three Mile Island. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, S. (1973). Expectancy and magnitude of reaction to a noxious. Psychophysiology, 10, 100–107.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, E. (2005) Biennial report of the EFMR monitoring group. (TIAA-Alert, self-publication).

    Google Scholar 

  • Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Evanston, IL: Row, Peterson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischhoff, B. (2011). Communicating about the risks of terrorism (or anything else). The American Psychologist, 66(6), 520–531.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Friborg, O., Hjemdal, O., Rosenvinge, J. H., & Martinussen, M. (2003). A new rating scale for adult resilience: What are the central protective resources behind healthy adjustment? International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 12, 65–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • George, A. (1974). Adaptation to stress in political decision making. The individual, small group and organizational content. In G. V. Coelho, D. A. Hamberg, & J. E. Adams (Eds.), Coping and adaptation. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, V. (1975). Socialization and information processing: A capacity model of anxiety- induced performance deficits. In I. G. Sarason & C. O. Speilberger (Eds.), Stress & anxiety (Vol. 2). Washington, DC: Hemisphere.

    Google Scholar 

  • Houts, P. S., Cleary, P. O., & Hu, T.-W. (1988). The Three Mile Island crisis: Psychological, Social and ­economic impacts on the surrounding population (p. 32). University Park and London: The Pennsylvania State University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Houts, P. S., & Goldhaber, N. K. (1981). Psychological and social effects on the population surrounding Three Mile Island after the nuclear accident. In S. Majumdar (Ed.), Energy, environment and the economy. Philadelphia, PA: Pennsylvania Academy of Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janis, I. L. (1971). Stress & frustration. New York: Hartcourt.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janis, I. L., & Leventhal, H. (1968). Human reactions to stress. In E. Borgatta & W. Lambert (Eds.), Handbook of personality theory and research. Chicago, IL: Rand McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janis, I. L., & Mann, L. (1977). Decision making. New York: The Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kardiner, A. (1941). The traumatic neuroses of war. New York: P. B. Hoeber.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Krystal, H. (1978). Trauma and effects. Psychonalytical Study of the Child, 33, 81–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindy, J. D., & Lindy, J. G. (1985). Observation in the media and disaster recovery period. In J. Laube & S. A. Murphy (Eds.), Perspectives on disaster recovery (pp. 295–303). Norwalk, CT: Appleton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luthar, S. S. (2006). Resilience in development: A synthesis of research across five decades. In D. Cicchetti & D. J. Cohen (Eds.), Developmental psychopathology, volume 3. Risk, disorder, and adaptation (2nd ed., pp. 739–795). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. S. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. The American Psychologist, 56, 227–238.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. S., Burt, K. B., & Coatsworth, J. D. (2006). Competence and psychopathology in development. In D. Cicchetti & D. Cohen (Eds.), Handbook of developmental psychopathology (2nd ed., Vol. 3, pp. 696–738). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. S., & Coatsworth, J. D. (1998). The development of competence in favorable and unfavorable environments: Lessons from research on successful children. The American Psychologist, 53, 205–220.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. S., & Gewirtz, A. H. (2006). Vulnerability and resilience in early child development. In K. McCartney & D. A. Phillips (Eds.), Handbook of early childhood development (pp. 22–43). Malden, MA: Blackwell.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. S., & Obradovic, J. (2008). Disaster preparation and recovery: Lessons from research on resilience in human development. Ecology and Society, 13(1), 9.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCurdy, J. (1943). The structure of morale. New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, I. M., & Mangan, C. E. (1983). Interacting effects of information and coping style in adaptation to gynecology and stress: Should the doctor tell all? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45(1), 223–236.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Monat, A. (1976). Temporal uncertainty, anticipation time, and cognitive coping under threat. Journal of Human Stress, 2, 32–43.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Monat, A., Averill, J. R., & Lazarus, R. S. (1972). Anticipatory stress and coping reactions under various conditions of uncertainty. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24, 237–252.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prince-Embury, S. (1991). Information seekers in the aftermath of technological disaster. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 21(7), 569–584.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prince-Embury, S. (1992a). Psychological symptoms as related to cognitive appraisals and demographic differences among information seekers in the aftermath of technological disaster. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 22(1), 38–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prince-Embury, S. (1992b). Information attributes as related to psychological symptoms and perceived control among information seekers in the aftermath of technological disaster. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 22(14), 1148–1159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prince-Embury, S., & Rooney, J. (1987a). Perception of control and faith in experts among residents in the vicinity of Three Mile Island. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 17(11), 953–968.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prince-Embury, S., & Rooney, J. (1987b). Interest in information as a function of worry and perceived control in the aftermath of nuclear disaster. International Quarterly of Community Health Education, 8(1), 33–49.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prince-Embury, S., & Rooney, J. (1988). Psychological symptoms of residents in the aftermath of the Three Mile Island nuclear accident and restart. The Journal of Social Psychology, 128, 779–790.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, G. E. (2002). The metatheory of resilience and resiliency. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58, 307–321.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M. (1975). Learned helplessness: A theory for the age of personal control. Oxford: New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trainer, P., & Bolin, R. (1976). Persistent effects of disasters on daily activities: A cross- cultural comparison. Mass Emergencies, 2, 279–290.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vanderkolk, K. (1987). Psychological trauma. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walsh, E. (1988). Democracy in the shadows. New York: Greenwood Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, R. W. (1959). Motivation reconsidered: The concept of competence. Psychological Review, 66, 297–333.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, M. O., & Masten, A. S. (2005). Resilience processes in development: Fostering positive adaptation in the context of adversity. In S. Goldstein & R. Brooks (Eds.), Handbook of resilience in children (pp. 17–37). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Resiliency Institute of Allenhurst, LLC, 625 North Edgemere Drive, West Allenhurst, NJ, 07711, USA

    Sandra Prince-Embury Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Sandra Prince-Embury Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sandra Prince-Embury Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Resiliency Institute of Allenhurst, LLC., North Edgemere Drive 625, W. Allenhurst, 07711, New Jersey, USA

    Sandra Prince-Embury

  2. , Dept. Psychology, Western University, Social Science Centre, London, N6A 5C2, Ontario, Canada

    Donald H. Saklofske

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Prince-Embury, S. (2013). Community-Level Resiliency Intervention in a Post-disaster Environment: The Three Mile Island Health and Environmental Information Series—Theoretical Assumptions, Implementation, and Participant Response. In: Prince-Embury, S., Saklofske, D. (eds) Resilience in Children, Adolescents, and Adults. The Springer Series on Human Exceptionality. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4939-3_17

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation