. | . |
Depression soars among Gulf residents after oil spill Washington (AFP) Sept 28, 2010 The number of US Gulf coast residents who say they suffer from depression rose by more than 25 percent following the catastrophic BP oil spill that sullied their shorelines and devastated their livelihoods, a Gallup poll showed Tuesday. Pollsters said inhabitants of Gulf coast areas who said they had a clinical diagnosis of depression increased by four points -- a 25.6 percent jump -- in the 15 weeks after the April 20 Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent oil spill, compared to the 15 weeks before the disaster. The survey found that over the same period, inland inhabitants of the same Gulf states reported a 2.2-percent rise in depression diagnoses, while residents of non-Gulf states reported a 0.6-percent rise. Health officials have warned for months of a desperate rise in stress levels and depression among Gulf coast residents. As the oil spill's scope became clear, touching virtually every aspect of life in the region, the US government compiled a tip sheet for residents on the threat of anxiety: pointing out symptoms such as frequent crying, being overwhelmed with worry and sadness, and increased alcohol and drug abuse. Gallup also found a 15.5-percent rise in feelings of worry and sadness reported by Gulf residents, compared to a 1.8-percent decrease for Americans in non-Gulf states. The pollsters, meanwhile, found a 14.9-percent decline in the number of Gulf coast dwellers who felt their community was "getting better as a place to live," against a 2.2-percent increase for Americans residing elsewhere. The results "document the extent to which residents living alongside the Gulf of Mexico have experienced a decrease in emotional health and satisfaction with their communities since the BP oil spill," Gallup said in a statement. The findings "provide supporting evidence of the need for enhanced psychological assistance for residents of Gulf Coast-facing counties," Gallup said. In August, BP announced it would fund 52 million dollars for health groups dealing with stress and depression in the states hit by the oil spill, including grants for substance abuse services, and the children and family departments of state health agencies. Two days after the April 20 explosion the crippled rig sank and ruptured the Macondo well, and over the next 87 days it spewed some 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico in the biggest maritime spill ever. Earlier this month US officials declared the BP well to be finally capped, but residents face an uphill climb to recovery in a region still recovering from the 2005 Hurricane Katrina. The Gallup poll was based on 2,598 interviews between January 2 and August 6 with residents of 25 Gulf Coast counties in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Texas. Their answers were compared with those taken from more than 30,000 interviewees who reside in inland regions of the same five Gulf states, as well as with more than 179,000 inhabitants of non-Gulf states during the same time periods.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters A world of storm and tempest When the Earth Quakes
First post-quake election campaign opens in Haiti Port-Au-Prince (AFP) Sept 26, 2010 Campaigning starts Monday in Haiti's first election since the devastating January earthquake, amid security concerns and with many of the country's 4.5 million eligible voters living in refugee camps. Presidential and legislative elections are scheduled for November 28 in a country still recovering from a massive quake that killed at least 250,000 people and left 1.5 million homeless. "I ... read more |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |