Authors:
Reid A; Alfonso H; Ti JSS; Wong E; de Klerk N; Musk AW
Authors notes:
International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health. 2012;18(2):116-123
Keywords:
Asbestos, Locus of control, Mental health
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the impact of the knowledge of past asbestos exposure on psychosocial health.
Wellbeing scores were lower among Wittenoom workers and residents compared with the Western Australian population, although an exposure-response relationship with cumulative asbestos exposure was not found.
Those who arrived in Wittenoom as children had a more external sense of control than those who arrived there as adults.
There was a 0.12 increase in LOC with a 2.7-fold increase in cumulative asbestos exposure (f/ml-years) (P<0.01).
The study concluded that asbestos operation at Wittenoom may have had a detrimental impact on former workers' and residents' sense of control over their lives.