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Correspondence: Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Joy D. Osofsky, Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane Ave, 2nd Floor, New Orleans, LA 70112 (e-mail: [email protected]).
To understand the effects of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, it is critical that the historical context surrounding individuals and families in southeastern Louisiana be described.1 On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana and Mississippi and breached the levees there, causing extensive damage. In some areas, everything was lost, including homes, businesses, schools, hospitals, and communities, and all of the residents had to evacuate. Families that lost everything were displaced for months, some even for years. Children were forced to attend multiple schools to continue their education. Parents often had to live apart for employment and income to survive and support their families. From a mental health perspective, the increased symptoms of anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and mental illness were substantial and ongoing for adults, children, and families.2 3 4 5 6 Although considerable resilience was noted, mental health symptoms persisted at elevated levels after Hurricane Katrina. Less than 5 years later, after often heroic efforts in rebuilding and partial recovery, some of the areas that were hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina also were hit hard by the DWH oil spill.
The DWH oil spill, caused by an offshore oil platform explosion approximately 50 mi southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, occurred on April 20, 2010. DWH spewed an estimated 5 million barrels of oil for 3 consecutive months and is the largest marine oil spill in history.7 The repeated traumatic experiences resulting from previous disasters and adversities increased the vulnerability of the population affected by the DWH oil spill.1 During the first 3 months after the initial explosion, the Department of Psychiatry of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center implemented interviews with and focus groups of residents living in the most heavily affected areas to better understand what types of resources, interventions, and services would be most helpful in supporting individuals and families.1 The interviews and focus groups were conducted with fishermen and their families, oil industry workers, hospitality service workers, and other community stakeholders. Individuals interviewed in Louisiana...