Psychological Evaluation of the Emotional Effects of a Community Toxic Exposure

OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the emotional effects of a major community toxic release while controlling the potential effects of response bias associated with litigation. METHODS: Participants included 152 exposed adult litigants and a matched unexposed comparison group (n = 76). Psychological assessment methods included: (1) Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2; (2) Symptom Checklist-90-Revised; and (3) Impact of Event Scale-Revised. RESULTS: Ten to 40% of the exposed group demonstrated emotional distress (compared with a 5% comparison baseline) depending on indicator and cutoff score used. CONCLUSIONS: The psychological consequences of a community toxic exposure were present even when exaggeration was carefully controlled. Accounting for exaggeration in the assessment of subjective psychological complaints provides a more accurate view of the subjective emotional state of persons who have experienced toxic exposure thereby facilitating appropriate clinical management of their mental health needs.