Hazelwood Health Study Technical Report: 2019-2020 Mental Health and Wellbeing Follow-up Survey

The 2016-2017 Hazelwood Health Study Adult Survey collected information on the health and wellbeing of residents, including mental health, 2.5 years after the 2014 Hazelwood mine fire. One of the primary research objectives of the Hazelwood Health Study was to monitor levels of psychological distress within the Morwell community over time. To do this, Morwell residents who participated in the 2016-2017 Adult Survey (round 1 survey) were invited to again participate in the 2019-2020 Mental Health and Wellbeing Follow-up Survey (round 2 survey). The main finding of the analysis was that, some six years after the 2014 Hazelwood mine fire, there was a continuing relationship between participants’ level of exposure to PM_2.5 during the Hazelwood event and the level of psychological distress that they attributed to that event. For each 10 µg/m³ increase in mean daily PM_2.5 exposure during the 2014 mine fire, there was a 1.1-point increase in IES-R score (at the mean age of the cohort). Furthermore, compared with levels observed in the round 1 survey, event-related psychological distress had increased at the time of the round 2 survey. Note: This report presents the views of the authors and not the Victorian Department of Health.