As a follow-up to the last post, Dr. Rebecca Cline, also of the Karmanos Cancer Institute, made a striking presentation at the recent ADAO Conference. Cline brought to light a point often left in the dark: the mental tolls of asbestos disease can be as harmful as the physical tolls.

Cline has done extensive research on the psychological impact of asbestos in the vermiculite-mining town of Libby, Montana. Cline called Libby "the worst environmental disaster in the United States." Because of the slow-moving nature of asbestos, the community has had the drawn-out responsibility of trying to make their neighbors fare well mentally and socially in the face of devastation. Cline said that in this situation, a community will either become charitable and altruistic or plagued with conflict. Libby, unfortunately, experienced the latter.

In interviewing residents, Cline found that people fell into one of three categories: those who readily believed the mine caused disease, those who eventually welcomed the idea, and those who are still in denial. She also uncovered that the residents were reluctant to talk about asbestos-disease because of economic implications; miners feared job loss and citizens feared a decrease in property value. This stigma prevented communication between residents and it created a divide between those affected by the disease and those who were not. Those not affected assumed that the disease was fake, a part acted by money-grubbing hoarders. Victims, consequently, were afraid to talk about asbestos for fear of social isolation.

The denial, division, and deception in Libby prevented citizens from obtaining the safety they deserved. It stunted progress towards asbestos regulation and weighed heavily on the minds of residents. Clearly, Cline's message rang true: the emotional effects of mesothelioma rival the physical effects.