OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH: Study to Examine Health Effects in Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Cleanup Workers

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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Determinants of oil-spill cleanup participation following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Environmental Research ◽

10.1016/j.envres.2019.01.009 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 170 ◽

pp. 472-480 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J. Danielle Sharpe ◽

John A. Kaufman ◽

Zachary E. Goldman ◽

Amy Wolkin ◽

Matthew O. Gribble

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Deepwater Horizon ◽

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽

Oil Spill Cleanup

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Adverse Physical and Mental Health Effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Among Gulf Coast Children: An Environmental Justice Perspective

Environmental Justice ◽

10.1089/env.2020.0046 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Gabriella Y. Meltzer ◽

Alexis A. Merdjanoff ◽

David M. Abramson

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Environmental Justice ◽

Health Effects ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Gulf Coast ◽

Deepwater Horizon ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽

Mental Health Effects

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Potential Immunotoxicological Health Effects Following Exposure to COREXIT 9500A during Cleanup of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A ◽

10.1080/15287394.2011.606797 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 74 (21) ◽

pp. 1419-1430 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Stacey E. Anderson ◽

Jennifer Franko ◽

Ewa Lukomska ◽

B. J. Meade

Keyword(s):

Health Effects ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Deepwater Horizon ◽

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

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Mental health service use by cleanup workers in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Social Science & Medicine ◽

10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.02.009 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 130 ◽

pp. 125-134 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Sarah R. Lowe ◽

Richard K. Kwok ◽

Julianne Payne ◽

Lawrence S. Engel ◽

Sandro Galea ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Service ◽

Health Service ◽

Oil Spill ◽

Service Use ◽

Deepwater Horizon ◽

Mental Health Service Use ◽

Health Service Use ◽

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽

Cleanup Workers

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An Evaluation of Safety Training for a Diverse Disaster Response Workforce: The Case of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education ◽

10.3390/ejihpe11040116 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 1635-1652

Author(s):

Sue Ann Sarpy ◽

Michael J. Burke

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Disaster Response ◽

Safety Climate ◽

Deepwater Horizon ◽

Safety Training ◽

Safety Performance ◽

Employee Rights ◽

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill ◽

Cleanup Workers ◽

Racial Ethnic

(1) Background: In this case study, we examined the safety-training-related experiences of individuals from six racial-ethnic groups (Asians (Vietnamese), Blacks, Hispanics, Isleños, Native Americans, and Whites) involved in the cleanup of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (2) Methods: We assessed, via a survey, 495 disaster response trainees’ reactions to the design and delivery of training, learning, safety performance, and injury and illness experience. (3) Results: Our results showed statistically significant racial-ethnic group differences with respect to reactions to training, components of learning (i.e., cognitive, skill, and affective), and safety performance (i.e., use of personal protective equipment, engaging in safe work practices, communicating of safety information, and exercising employee rights and responsibilities). In general, Asians and Isleños group members had lower reactions to training, self-reported learning, and safety performance. Additionally, we found that the safety climate interacted with learning to positively affect safety performance. (4) Conclusions: We discuss the implications of our findings for improving the quality of safety training in relation to addressing language and literacy concerns, developing training that is useful and engaging for volunteer and other cleanup workers from the contaminated region, and promoting a positive safety climate to enhance training transfer.

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