Psychological consequences of the Flint Water Crisis: A systematic review

Abstract

Given the COVID-19 outbreak, these unprecedented times pose many urgent dilemmas about how to support the mental health of communities. The goal of this research is to summarize existing literature on the mental health impact of the recent Flint Water Crisis. In March 2020, we searched five databases for literature exploring the psychological consequences of the crisis. Main findings were extracted. 132 citations were screened and eleven included in the review. Results suggest a negative psychological effect caused by the water crisis, including anxiety and health worries, exacerbated by lowered trust in public health officials, uncertainty about the long-term impacts of the crisis, financial hardships, stigma, and difficulties seeking help. There was evidence that concerns about tap water continued even after the state of emergency was lifted. With a possible compounded effect to residents of Flint with the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the results highlight the need for more resources for psychological health interventions in Flint as well as a need for local governments and health authorities to regain the trust of those affected by the Flint Water Crisis.

A Possible Nocebo Effect in Children Following the Flint Water Crisis: Evidence From Schoolteacher Perceptions and Neuropsychological Evaluations

“…11 Similar messaging has been repeated within the community for over six years (Roy et al, 2023 14 : Table S2), amidst reports of higher rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, and other mental health problems in the general Flint population. [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Beliefs about the effect of the FWC lead exposure on children's cognitive abilities cannot be reconciled with data on blood lead levels in Flint children. Research demonstrated that children's blood lead levels in Flint were not significantly different from the State average and were dramatically lower than children in neighboring Detroit.…”