Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33730077›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

Does living close to a petrochemical complex increase the adverse psychological effects of the COVID-19 lockdown?

Paloma Vicens, Luis Heredia, Edgar Bustamante, Yolanda Pérez, José L Domingo, Margarita Torrente

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.5field-weighted citation impact, top 38% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Paloma VicensDepartment of Psychology, CRAMC (Research Center for Behavior Assessment), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
Luis HerediaDepartment of Psychology, CRAMC (Research Center for Behavior Assessment), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
Edgar BustamanteDepartment of Geography, GRATET, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Vila-seca, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-2905-8324
Yolanda PérezDepartment of Geography, GRATET, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Vila-seca, Spain.
José L DomingoLaboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, TECNATOX, School of Medicine, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Spain.
Margarita TorrenteDepartment of Psychology, CRAMC (Research Center for Behavior Assessment), Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-8901-6345
Universitat Rovira i Virgili · ES

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The petrochemical industry has made the economic development of many local communities possible, increasing employment opportunities and generating a complex network of closely-related secondary industries. However, it is known that petrochemical industries emit air pollutants, which have been related to different negative effects on mental health. In addition, many people around the world are being exposed to highly stressful situations deriving from the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns adopted by national and regional governments. The present study aims to analyse the possible differential effects on various psychological outcomes (stress, anxiety, depression and emotional regulation strategies) stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent lockdown experienced by individuals living near an important petrochemical complex and subjects living in other areas, nonexposed to the characteristic environmental pollutants emitted by these kinds of complex. The sample consisted of 1607 subjects who answered an ad hoc questionnaire on lockdown conditions, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS) and the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ). The results indicate that people living closer to petrochemical complexes reported greater risk perception [K = 73.42, p < 0.001, with a medium size effect (η2 = 0.061)]. However, no significant relationship between psychological variables and proximity to the focus was detected when comparing people living near to or far away from a chemical/petrochemical complex. Regarding the adverse psychological effects of the first lockdown due to COVID-19 on the general population in Catalonia, we can conclude that the conditions included in this survey were mainly related to changes in the participants' impulsivity levels, with different total impulsivity scores being obtained if they had minors in their care (p<0.001), if they had lost their jobs, if they were working (p<0.001), if they were not telecommuting (p<0.001), if they went out to work (p<0.001) or if they established routines (p = 0.009). However, we can also be fairly certain that the economic effects are going to be worse than those initially detected in this study. More research will be necessary to corroborate our results.

Indexed as

AdultAnxietyAnxiety DisordersCOVID-19DepressionFemaleHumansMaleMental HealthPandemicsQuarantineSpainStress, PsychologicalSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID33730077
PMCPMC7968890
OpenAlexW3139014382

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.