scholarly journals Coping with oil spills: oil exposure and anxiety among residents of Gulf Coast states after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Goldman ◽  
John A. Kaufman ◽  
J. Danielle Sharpe ◽  
Amy F. Wolkin ◽  
Matthew O. Gribble
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Tobit Regression ◽  
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
Oil Exposure

Introduction: In April 2010, a fatal explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in the largest accidental marine oil spill in history. This research describes the association of oil exposure with anxiety after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and evaluates effect modification by self-mastery, emotional support, and cleanup participation. Methods: To assess the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted the Gulf States Population Survey, a random-digit-dial telephone cross-sectional survey completed between December 2010 and December 2011 with 38,361 responses in four different Gulf Coast states­: Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. Anxiety severity was measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptom inventory. We used Tobit regression to model underlying anxiety as a function of oil exposure and hypothesized effect modifiers, adjusting for socio-demographics. Results: Latent anxiety was higher among those directly exposed to oil than among those who were not directly exposed to oil in confounder-adjusted models (β=2.84, 95% CI: 0.78, 4.91). Among individuals exposed to oil, there was no significant interaction between participating in cleanup activities and emotional support for anxiety ( P=0.16). However, among those directly exposed to oil, in confounder-adjusted models, participation in oil spill cleanup activities was associated with lower latent anxiety (β=-3.50, 95% CI: -6.10, -0.90). Conclusion: Oil contact was associated with greater anxiety, but this association appeared to be mitigated by cleanup participation.

scholarly journals Correction: Patel et al. Resilience: Examining the Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on the Gulf Coast Vietnamese American Community. Soc. Sci. 2018, 7(10), 203

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 74
Author(s):  
Megha Patel ◽  
Leia Saltzman ◽  
Regardt Ferreira ◽  
Amy Lesen
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽  
Vietnamese American

The authors wish to make the following change to their paper (Patel et al. 2018). [...]

scholarly journals The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort study

2017 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Rusiecki ◽  
Melannie Alexander ◽  
Erica G Schwartz ◽  
Li Wang ◽  
Laura Weems ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Crude Oil ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Health Data ◽  
Coast Guard ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Oil Exposure

ObjectivesLong-term studies of oil spill responders are urgently needed as oil spills continue to occur. To this end, we established the prospective Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Oil Spill Coast Guard Cohort study.MethodsDWH oil spill responders (n=8696) and non-responders (n=44 823) who were members of the US Coast Guard (20 April–17 December 2010) were included. This cohort uses both prospective, objective health data from military medical encounters and cross-sectional survey data. Here, we describe the cohort, present adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) estimating cross-sectional associations between crude oil exposure (none, low/medium, high) and acute physical symptoms, and present adjusted relative risks (RRs) based on longitudinal medical encounter data (2010–2012) for responders/non-responders and responders exposed/not exposed to crude oil.ResultsResponders and non-responders in this large cohort (n=53 519) have similar characteristics. Crude oil exposure was reported by >50% of responders. We found statistically significant associations for crude oil exposure with coughing (PRhigh=1.78), shortness of breath (PRhigh=2.30), wheezing (PRhigh=2.32), headaches (PRhigh=1.46), light-headedness/dizziness (PRhigh=1.96), skin rash/itching (PRhigh=1.87), diarrhoea (PRhigh=1.76), stomach pain (PRhigh=1.67), nausea/vomiting (PRhigh=1.48) and painful/burning urination (PRhigh=2.89) during deployment. Longitudinal analyses revealed that responders had elevated RRs for dermal conditions (RR=1.09), as did oil-exposed responders for chronic respiratory conditions (RR=1.32), asthma (RR=1.83) and dermal conditions (RR=1.21).ConclusionsWe found positive associations between crude oil exposure and various acute physical symptoms among responders, as well as longer term health effects. This cohort is well positioned to evaluate both short-term and long-term effects of oil spill exposures using both self-reported and clinical health data.

Community Resilience, Psychological Resilience, and Depressive Symptoms: An Examination of the Mississippi Gulf Coast 10 Years After Hurricane Katrina and 5 Years After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joohee Lee ◽  
Bret J. Blackmon ◽  
David M. Cochran ◽  
Bandana Kar ◽  
Timothy A. Rehner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Hurricane Katrina ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Community Resilience ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Psychological Resilience ◽  
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽  
Mississippi Gulf Coast

AbstractObjectiveThis study examined the role of community resilience and psychological resilience on depressive symptoms in areas on the Mississippi Gulf Coast that have experienced multiple disasters.MethodsSurvey administration took place in the spring of 2015 to a spatially stratified, random sample of households. This analysis included a total of 294 subjects who lived in 1 of the 3 counties of the Mississippi Gulf Coast at the time of both Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. The survey included the Communities Advancing Resilience Toolkit (CART) scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC 10), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).ResultsThere was a significant inverse relationship between psychological resilience and depressive symptoms and a significant positive relationship between community resilience and psychological resilience. The results also revealed that community resilience was indirectly related to depressive symptoms through the mediating variable of psychological resilience.ConclusionsThese findings highlight the importance of psychological resilience in long-term disaster recovery and imply that long-term recovery efforts should address factors associated with both psychological and community resilience to improve mental health outcomes. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:241–248)

Mental Health Needs Assessment After the Gulf Coast Oil Spill—Alabama and Mississippi, 2010

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 401-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Buttke ◽  
Sara Vagi ◽  
Tesfaye Bayleyegn ◽  
Kanta Sircar ◽  
Tara Strine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Coastal Communities ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Health Needs Assessment ◽  
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽  
Mental Health Effects

AbstractIntroductionPrevious oil spills and disasters from other human-made events have shown that mental health effects to the affected population are widespread and can be significant.Hypothesis/ProblemThere has been concern regarding the likelihood that existing public health surveillance was not capturing the mental health effects to the population affected by the Gulf Coast oil spill. The objectives of this study were to assess the mental health needs of coastal communities in the states of Alabama and Mississippi following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.MethodsA cluster sampling methodology was used to assess the mental health status of coastal residents in three counties in Alabama four months following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and in the Gulf Coast counties in Mississippi 5.5 months after the oil spill.ResultsA total of 469 residents of the selected areas were interviewed. Between 15.4 and 24.5% of the respondents reported depressive symptoms, with 21.4-31.5% reporting symptoms consistent with an anxiety disorder, and 16.3-22.8% reporting ≥14 mentally unhealthy days within the past 30 days. Overall, there were more negative quality of life indicators and negative social context outcomes than in the state's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. Between 32.1% and 35.7% of all households reported decreased income since the oil spill, and 35.5-38.2% of all households reported having been exposed to oil.ConclusionThe proportion of respondents reporting negative mental health parameters in the affected Alabama and Mississippi coastal communities is higher than the proportion reported in the 2008 and 2009 BRFSS state reports, suggesting that the public health response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill should focus on mental health services in these communities.ButtkeD, VagiS, BayleyegnT, SircarK, StrineT, MorrisonM, AllenM, WolkinA. Mental health needs assessment after the Gulf Coast oil spill—Alabama and Mississippi, 2010. Prehosp Disaster Med.2012;27(5):1-8.

A Longitudinal Study of the Mental and Behavioral Health Effects Expressed in Lower Alabama Areas Affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 300245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Langhinrichsen-Rohling ◽  
Mattie Kahn ◽  
Candice N. Selwyn ◽  
Adrianne C. McCullars ◽  
Mai Var ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Health Effects ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Symptom Expression ◽  
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Over Time

On April 20th, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. This spill affected approximately 181 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline and impacted the livelihood of residents within Lower Alabama. Previous studies have shown increased behavioral health symptoms following high magnitude natural disasters. Symptom expression typically adheres to one of several trajectories: recovery, evidenced by gradual declines in symptoms over time, or delayed disruptions in functioning, evidenced by gradual increases in symptoms over time. However, very few existing studies have investigated the long term behavioral health effects of a large-scale technological disaster. Surveillance of mental and behavioral health symptoms over time can inform needed resiliency-restoring and recovery-related service provision resources. Using health surveillance methodology, plots were developed to depict the trajectory of behavioral health symptoms expressed by service-seeking Alabama Gulf Coast residents (n = 3,731 people) within impacted areas of Mobile and Baldwin counties. The presented data represents information gathered from disaster- deployed mental health service providers (e.g., number of patients treated and their behavioral health symptoms) in order to monitor fluctuations in behavioral health indicators across the recovery period. Six distinct time points were included in the analyses (6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months post-spill) Results demonstrate a period of recovery between 6 months and 18 months post-spill as evidenced by a gradual decline in behavioral health symptoms. However, beginning around 18 months post-spill and continuing through Year 3, delayed disruptions in functioning were evidenced by gradually increasing reports of behavioral health symptoms over time. Plots of symptom type and frequency will be presented as these demonstrate the need for programs such as the Gulf Region Health Outreach Program (GRHOP).Overall, the current study offers insight into the pattern of behavioral health responses experienced by Coastal Alabama residents over the three year period following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Results suggest that behavioral health symptoms in need of treatment still persist, with a trend of increasing symptoms present over the past year and a half. Several factors may be impacting continued symptom expression including ongoing litigation related to the oil spill, a lack of behavioral health care capacity within the Gulf Coast region, and the large percentage of individuals within the region who are experiencing on-going poverty and a lack of access to affordable health care.

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