Persistent Risk‐Related Worry as a Function of Recalled Exposure to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Prior Trauma

Abstract

Large oil spills are disasters associated with psychological effects for exposed communities. The amount of worry that individuals experience after a disaster may be influenced by many factors, such as the type and extent of exposure to disaster impacts, prior trauma, and sociodemographic characteristics. This study examined the nature and predictors of worry about ongoing impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DH) oil spill reported by Gulf of Mexico coastal residents. A random sample of 2,520 adult residents of Gulf of Mexico coastal counties were administered a telephone survey in 2016, including items about persistent worry and exposure to DH impacts, prior trauma, residence at the time of the spill, and sociodemographic characteristics. Respondents varied in the amount of worry they reported about ongoing health, social, and economic impacts. Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, higher exposure to the DH oil spill was related to higher levels of worry about ongoing impacts, with past traumatic events related specifically to worry about health impacts. Unexpectedly, those who moved into the region after the spill showed similar levels of worry to residents exposed to the spill, and higher levels than residents who did not recall being exposed to the DH oil spill. This study highlights the impact of the DH oil spill on coastal residents many years after the DH disaster. The findings underscore the need to examine multiple pathways by which individuals experience disasters and for risk researchers to close knowledge gaps about long‐term impacts of oil spills within a multi‐dimensional framework.

Disparate effects of BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill exposure on psychological resilience.

“…An established and growing body of research has demonstrated the negative impacts of oil spills in terms of psychosocial stress among affected populations (Gill et al, 2016; Palinkas et al, 1993). In the context of the DHOS, spill exposure has been variously associated with psychological outcomes such as depression, anxiety, and worry (Ayer et al, 2019; Beedasy et al, 2021; Cope et al, 2013, 2016; Gill et al, 2014; Lee & Blanchard, 2012; Osofsky et al, 2011; Parker et al, 2020; Ramchand et al, 2019; Rung et al, 2016). The findings reported here dovetail most specifically with previous research elucidating linkages between economic DHOS exposure and negative impacts on health variously defined (Parks et al, 2020; Peres et al, 2016; Slack et al, 2021; Stroope et al, 2021) and speak directly to the limited research focused on psychological resilience as an outcome specifically (Lightfoot et al, 2020).…”

“…Such stress can stem from direct contact with toxic substances as well as the broader disruption of people’s socioeconomic circumstances and way of life, including job loss and involvement in protracted litigation (Keating et al, 2020; Ritchie et al, 2018). Accordingly, DHOS exposure—physical and socioeconomic—has been variously associated with outcomes such as depression, anxiety, worry, and substance abuse (Ayer et al, 2019; Beedasy et al, 2021; Cope et al, 2013, 2016; Drakeford et al, 2020; Gill et al, 2014; Lee & Blanchard, 2012; Osofsky et al, 2011; Parker et al, 2020; Parks et al, 2018; Ramchand et al, 2019; Rung et al, 2016). Economic DHOS exposure (e.g., job and income loss, occupational threat) has also been shown to have particularly pernicious effects on well-being (Parks et al, 2020; Slack et al, 2021; Stroope et al, 2021).…”

Trust and consequences: Role of community science, perceptions, values, and environmental justice in risk communication

“…These include, but are not limited to: backlash (Jensen et al., 2017), cultural world view (Kim & Kim, 2019), local knowledge (e.g. Corburn, 2002), mental models (Bessette et al., 2017), proximity (Lyons et al., 2020), social amplification of risk (Kandiah et al., 2017; Wirz et al., 2018), and worry (Parker et al., 2020). Risk communicators are subject to some of the same mental models and biases, and it can influence their communication methods or attitudes.…”

Estimating Health Risks to Children Associated with Recreational Play on Oil Spill-Contaminated Beaches

“…Additional chemical by-products are created when crude oil comes into contact and reacts with water and air [6]. A majority of the existing literature on the impact of DWH on human health focuses on the health of first responders [7][8][9], especially in regard to exposure to dispersants, as well as physical [10] and mental health [11] outcomes of adults living in affected areas. Children, however, may be particularly vulnerable to physical adverse health consequences from subsequent exposures to environmental contaminants associated with oil spills.…”