The aim of the Psychological Impacts research stream of the Hazelwood Health Study was to investigate associations between exposure to smoke from the Hazelwood coal mine fire and psychological trauma and distress. The stream examined psychological impacts broadly across people living in Morwell and surrounding districts, which included surveying adults, children and families, and conducting analyses of administrative databases that record local health, educational, and social outcomes. As the community moved forward from the mine fire event, the stream also sought to understand the community's recovery, resilience, and social wellbeing.
The following video clip is an excerpt from the 2023 Community Briefing providing an update on the Psychological Impacts stream.
You can also view previous research updates from the Psychological Impacts Stream here:
2022 Psychological Impacts Stream - Update
2021 Psychological Impacts Stream - Update
Impacts on adults
The Adult Survey, originally completed by more than 4,000 adults living in Morwell and Sale, included an assessment of mental health, measuring psychological distress generally, the psychological impact of the mine fire event specifically, exposures to other traumatic situations, as well as diagnosed mental health conditions. The Psychological Impacts research stream followed up Adult Survey participants periodically, conducting further surveys and interviews which enabled the research team to determine the long-term impact of the mine fire on mental health, and to track how well people were recovering over time. Two follow-up survey rounds were completed, the first in the summer of 2019-2020, and the second round in late 2022.
Impacts on children
The Schools Study focused on the impacts on school-aged children. The study adopted a range of approaches to understand psychological outcomes arising from the mine fire event for children who were school-aged at the time. This included interviews conducted with both primary and secondary school students, as well as with parents and teachers. In addition to investigating psychological outcomes for school-aged children, the Psychological Impacts research used NAPLAN results to examine whether disruption to schools associated with the mine fire event had subsequently affected educational outcomes for students. Two news stories on the release of Schools Study findings are provided at the bottom of this page.
Other activities
The Psychological Impacts research stream worked with the Community Wellbeing research stream to look at the relationship between individual wellbeing and community wellbeing in the Morwell. This study was being approached in two ways: measures of current community wellbeing, and of change in community wellbeing since the mine fire, were included in the Adult Survey Follow-up; questions relating to individual wellbeing were included in interviews completed by the Community Wellbeing research stream in 2021.
The stream also worked with the Early Life Follow-up stream to look at mental health and wellbeing in ELF families. A survey of ELF families was completed in 2022.
The study team
The Psychological Impacts research stream was led by Associate Professor Matthew Carroll who is based at the Monash Rural Health site at Churchill in the Latrobe Valley. Professor Darryl Maybery from the Monash Rural Health office at Warragul and Dr Emily Berger from the School of Educational Psychology & Counselling in the Monash Faculty of Education in Clayton worked closely with Associate Professor Carroll on all aspects of the study. Mr Tim Campbell was the stream Research Assistant and is also based at the Monash Rural Health Churchill office. Mr David Poland was the HHS Administrative Officer for Gippsland and provided support to the stream. Professor Sandy McFarlane from the Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies at the University of Adelaide provided high-level advice to the stream and regularly participated in research activity.
Study findings
Latest news
| ABC Gippsland: Dr Matthew Carroll interviewed following the release of new findings regarding Community Wellbeing within the Latrobe Valley. (Interview with Dr Carroll commences at 37:18 into the ABC Gippsland presentation). | |
| 28 June 2023 | Community flyer released highlighting key findings from the early years of the Study (Flyer distributed with the Latrobe Valley Express) |
| 2 March 2022 | When children live through a tragic event - interview with Dr Emily Berger, from 24.23 minutes (The Conversation Hour - ABC Radio) |
| February 2022 | Dr Emily Berger wins award for her “Significant Contribution to Rural and Remote Communities" (Australian Psychological Society) |
Local TV coverage of stream activities
WIN News Gippsland story on Thursday, 29 June 2017 regarding the release of Schools Study findings
WIN News Gippsland story on Tuesday, 1 September 2015 regarding the rollout of the Schools Study survey to 20 schools across the Latrobe Valley.
