Gulf Oil Spill To Damage Mental Health

In the decades since the Valdez spill, psychologists have monitored the mental health effects on Alaska residents. If the oil spill in the Gulf follows the pattern of the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989, it will have devastating long-term consequences not only for the health of the environment and economy, but also for the mental health of residents of Louisiana, Florida, and other affected areas.

One study found that a year after the spill, 10% of Alaskans who had been exposed to effects of the disaster suffered from post-traumatic stress syndrome, 20% from generalized anxiety disorder, and 16% from high levels of depressive symptoms. These rates were 2 to 3 times higher than the rates of anxiety, depression, and PTSD among Alaskans who had not been exposed to the spill.

Another study, conducted by researchers at Mississippi State University, found that technological disasters like oil spills have more serious long-term emotional consequences than natural disasters. Although both kinds of disasters can cause mental distress, victims of natural disasters usually recover more quickly than victims of man-made disasters.

Why? The uncertainty of the extent of the damage is greater in man-made disasters, and uncertainty is an important factor in creating anxiety. The long periods of time in which both recovery and lawsuits tend to extend after a man-made disaster also works to keep negative feelings alive. In a man-made disaster, anger can be directed toward human agents who are held accountable, while with natural disasters this is normally not the case, encouraging victims to let go of anger faster.

Hurricane Katrina shared qualities of both man-made and natural disasters. Many of the worst sights and scenes after the hurricane can be blamed on human mismanagement, and lack of preparedness has also been blamed for much of the loss of life after Katrina.

Gulf residents still recovering from the stress of Katrina are likely to be especially hard hit by the long-term mental health effects of this current disaster. Timely attention to the mental health needs of affected communities will be essential to a recovery effort that restores not just the environment of the region, but the people of its communities.