Behavioral Health of Gulf Coast Residents 6 Years After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: The Role of Trauma History – ADDENDUM

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (03) ◽  
pp. 650
Author(s):  
Lynsay Ayer ◽  
Charles Engel ◽  
Andrew Parker ◽  
Rachana Seelam ◽  
Rajeev Ramchand
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽  
Trauma History

Behavioral Health of Gulf Coast Residents 6 Years After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: The Role of Trauma History

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (03) ◽  
pp. 497-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynsay Ayer ◽  
Charles Engel ◽  
Andrew Parker ◽  
Rachana Seelam ◽  
Rajeev Ramchand
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽  
Trauma History ◽  
Illness Anxiety ◽  
Prior Trauma

ABSTRACTObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to examine the associations between oil spill exposure, trauma history, and behavioral health 6 years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS). We hypothesized that prior trauma would exacerbate the relationship between oil spill exposure and behavioral health problems.MethodsThe sample included 2,520 randomly selected adults in coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico. Participants reported their level of oil spill exposure, trauma history, depression, anxiety/worry, illness anxiety, and alcohol use.ResultsIndividuals with more traumatic experiences had a significantly higher risk for all measured behavioral health problems after controlling for demographic factors and DHOS exposure. Those with higher levels of DHOS exposure were not at greater risk for behavioral health problems after controlling for prior trauma, with the exception of illness anxiety. There was no evidence that trauma history moderated the association between DHOS exposure and behavioral health.ConclusionsFindings suggest that trauma exposure may be a better indicator of long-term behavioral health risk than DHOS exposure among disaster-prone Gulf Coast residents. DHOS exposure may be a risk factor for illness anxiety but not more general behavioral health concerns. Trauma history did not appear to exacerbate risk for behavioral health problems among Gulf residents exposed to the DHOS. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:497-503)

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.

scholarly journals Behavioral Health in the Gulf Coast Region Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: Findings from Two Federal Surveys

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah W. Gould ◽  
Judith L. Teich ◽  
Michael R. Pemberton ◽  
Carol Pierannunzi ◽  
Sharon Larson
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽  
Gulf Coast Region ◽  
Coast Region

scholarly journals Resilience: Examining the Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on the Gulf Coast Vietnamese American Community

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megha Patel ◽  
Leia Saltzman ◽  
Regardt Ferreira ◽  
Amy Lesen
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽  
Us History ◽  
Vietnamese Population ◽  
Racial Ethnic ◽  
Disaster Exposure

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWH) was one of the largest hydrocarbon disasters in US history. The estimated 5 million barrels of oil that poured into the Gulf of Mexico had a devastating impact on the natural environment, as well as on the livelihoods of communities residing along the coastal region. This paper explores resilience in individuals that identify as Vietnamese, presenting findings from a study of three Gulf Coast communities impacted by the DWH oil spill. A 60-min, in-person survey was administered to a total of 326 residents from the Gulf Coast communities of Port Sulphur, LA, Galliano, LA, and Bayou La Batre, AL. Logistic regression outcome and key predictors models were used to determine the probability of having higher levels of resilience. The results of this study highlight the role of age, education, and racial/ethnic identification in fostering resilience following disaster exposure. Identifying as Vietnamese was associated with a decrease in the odds of achieving above-threshold levels of resilience. This study may be viewed as the foundation from which to further explore the unique risk and protective profiles of the Vietnamese population, particularly in regard to those residing in critically vulnerable and disaster-prone areas.

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.

Prolonged Financial Distress After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Predicts Behavioral Health

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 294-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacy Buckingham-Howes ◽  
Katherine Holmes ◽  
J. Glenn Morris ◽  
Lynn M. Grattan
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Oil Spill ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

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). [...]

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