An earthquake in slow motion: The mental health impact of Ireland’s defective concrete crisis

The use of defective concrete in the construction of homes and businesses in the Republic of Ireland has resulted in widespread property deterioration, displacement, economic shock and psychological distress for thousands of families. No studies to date have investigated the prevalence estimates of mental health conditions in those affected by Ireland’s defective concrete crisis (DCC) or what factors are associated with mental health outcomes in this population. The aim of this research was to estimate the point prevalence estimates of depression, anxiety, traumatic stress, and suicidal ideation among a sample of the affected population and identify the primary socio-demographic and DCC-related risk variables that have influenced mental health outcomes, while adjusting for previous trauma history. A convenience sample of 393 Irish adults, recruited via DCC support networks, completed a self-report Qualtrics survey between March 2024 and September 2024. Standardised measures for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (ITQ), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and suicidal ideation were employed. Cut-off scores of greater ≥ 15 were used for the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, indicating severe depression and anxiety levels. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to calculate associations between socio-demographic and DCC-related variables and all mental health outcome variables. Prevalence estimates were 30.4% for severe depression, 26.2% for severe anxiety, 4.9% for PTSD, and 15.5% for CPTSD. Suicidal ideation, experienced after a property was suspected to have been affected by defective concrete, was present in 35.5% of the sample. Adjusting for previous trauma history, regression analyses findings showed that, of the seven DCC risk variables, safety fears regarding an affected property significantly predicted severe depression, CPTSD, and suicidal ideation (OR range from 2.39 - 4.78), while severe anxiety was predicted by displacement/relocating (OR=2.24). The prevalence of mental health problems that exceed the threshold for clinical intervention among those affected by the DCC is markedly higher than that recorded in other general population samples both in Ireland and internationally. Moreover, the prevalence estimates recorded among the current sample are consistent with those identified among other trauma exposed populations. Unique predictors were identified for each outcome, with the safety fears associated with living in a defective concrete home being strongly correlated with severe negative mental health outcomes. These findings highlight the impact this crisis is having on affected adults, as well as the need for mental health interventions.