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Mitigating Litigating: An Examination of Psychosocial Impacts of Compensation Processes Associated with the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

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  • Liesel A. Ritchie
  • Duane A. Gill
  • Michael A. Long

Abstract

During the past four decades, a number of social science scholars have conceptualized technological disasters as a social problem. More specifically, research in this arena has identified individual and collective stress as a secondary trauma of processes intended to provide compensation and economic relief from disasters in general and, more specifically, technological disasters. Based on data from a 2013 household telephone survey of 1,216 residents of coastal Alabama, this article examines the relationship between psychosocial stress and compensation processes related to the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. We examine involvement with claims, settlement, and litigation activities; vulnerability and exposure to the spill; ties to resources; resource loss and gain; perceptions of risk and recreancy; and intrusive stress and avoidance behaviors as measured by the impact of event scale. Regression analysis reveals that the strongest contributors to intrusive stress were being part of the compensation process, resource loss, concerns about air quality, and income. Although being involved with compensation processes was a significant predictor of avoidance behaviors, the strongest contributors to avoidance behaviors were resource loss, air quality concern, income, being male, minority status, and community attachment. Beliefs that the compensation process was as distressing as the oil spill also significantly contributed to intrusive stress and avoidance behaviors. This research represents a step toward filling a gap in empirical evidence regarding the extent to which protracted compensation processes exacerbate adverse psychosocial impacts of disasters and hinder community recovery.

Suggested Citation

  • Liesel A. Ritchie & Duane A. Gill & Michael A. Long, 2018. "Mitigating Litigating: An Examination of Psychosocial Impacts of Compensation Processes Associated with the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(8), pages 1656-1671, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:riskan:v:38:y:2018:i:8:p:1656-1671
    DOI: 10.1111/risa.12969
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Duane Gill & Liesel Ritchie & J. Picou & Jennifer Langhinrichsen-Rohling & Michael Long & Jessica Shenesey, 2014. "The Exxon and BP oil spills: a comparison of psychosocial impacts," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 74(3), pages 1911-1932, December.
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    1. Leah Drakeford & Vanessa Parks & Tim Slack & Rajeev Ramchand & Melissa Finucane & Matthew R. Lee, 2020. "Oil Spill Disruption and Problem Drinking: Assessing the Impact of Religious Context among Gulf Coast Residents," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 39(1), pages 119-146, February.
    2. Rolf Lidskog, 2018. "Invented Communities and Social Vulnerability: The Local Post-Disaster Dynamics of Extreme Environmental Events," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-19, November.
    3. Tim Slack & Vanessa Parks & Lynsay Ayer & Andrew M. Parker & Melissa L. Finucane & Rajeev Ramchand, 2020. "Natech or natural? An analysis of hazard perceptions, institutional trust, and future storm worry following Hurricane Harvey," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 102(3), pages 1207-1224, July.
    4. Vanessa Parks & Lynsay Ayer & Rajeev Ramchand & Melissa L. Finucane, 2020. "Disaster experience, social capitals, and behavioral health," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 104(1), pages 959-977, October.
    5. Ritchie, Liesel A. & Long, Michael A., 2021. "Psychosocial impacts of post-disaster compensation processes: Community-wide avoidance behaviors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    6. Samuel Stroope & Tim Slack & Rhiannon A. Kroeger & Kathryn Sweet Keating & Jaishree Beedasy & Jonathan J. Sury & Jeremy Brooks & Thomas Chandler, 2022. "Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Exposure, Industry Sector, and Child Health," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(1), pages 229-249, February.

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