BP oil spill triggers mental problems

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=134383§ionid=3510210


Apart from various health concerns linked to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the incident is also blamed for the increased rate of mental health problems in the area.

The oil spill disaster is now more than two months old and has forced authorities to close swathes of Gulf waters to fishing, making the majority of the Gulf residents jobless.

The resulted job loss has not only caused financial crisis but also imposed lots of stress-related illnesses and mental health problems including anxiety, depression and anger to the residents.

The stress is believed to be worse than that reported following the 2005 Hurricane Katrina as it is impossible to predict when waters will reopen.

"The mental health impact here ... (and) the level of uncertainty is taking a toll on people and that's a huge, huge concern," said Kindra Arnesen, a Gulf Coast native.

Officials, on the other hand, have no strong evidence confirming the real impact of the catastrophe on the mental health of the residents.

"We hear it over and over again," said Wilma Subra, an environmental scientist of the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, adding that "It is the stress because of the possibility of not being able to earn a living and pay their bills."

"We're basing it on what we're seeing out in the field. We're sending counselors and representatives out to the marinas and boat docks, where there are large clusters of people with high levels of frustration," said John Ziegler, a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Mental Health.

State officials from Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi have, therefore, asked BP PLC for millions of dollars to help pay for the expanded mental health monitoring and services needed for the residents affected by the "ongoing challenge."

BP officials have not provided any immediate response about the money. They, however, have announced that the company is studying "which non-profits might be useful in a plan to address mental health needs related to the spill."

Millions of gallons of oil have poured into the Mexican Gulf since the Deepwater Horizon offshore rig exploded on April 20, Killing 11 workers and blowing out the well. A newly revealed BP document indicates that around 100,000 barrels of oil per day are gushed out of the well into the Gulf of Mexico.