When Resources Become Stressors: Dynamics of the Stress Process in the Flint Water Crisis

Disasters create and intensify stress for communities, with many factors contributing to how that stress results in mental health outcomes. Guided by the stress process model, this article presents findings from a qualitative investigation of the meaning of stress among community leaders in the context of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six community leaders in Flint and analyzed using grounded theory techniques. Secondary stressors such as necessary changes to everyday routines, being discredited by government officials, and perceptions of a lack of government action and accountability were perceived to impact the community’s mental health, with potentially more influence than the impact of the primary stressor of contaminated water. Findings indicate that both stressors and coping resources evolve with profound intrapersonal impact, such that proposed social coping resources become stressors when they do not meet individual or community needs or expectations.