by Derek Turner
A special
investigation just released by the NAACP indicates that thousands of Gulf Coast
residents are suffering mild to severe mental health problems stemming from
last year’s oil drilling disaster.
The
investigation’s findings reveal that the impact of the oil spill has led to an
overall rise in stress felt by Gulf residents.
“I’m in a
depressed mood,” says Stanley Encalade, a resident of Plaquemines, Louisiana
who earns his livelihood from fishing and trucking. “I don’t sleep until 12 or 1 o’clock at night. I wake up. I’m walking the floors all night. I am frustrated.”
Some Gulf
residents left in the wake of the spill have complained of shorter tempers,
increased alcohol abuse, and crumbling relationships. Boat captain William Kruse became so distraught over his
loss of livelihood from the spill that he took his own life.
Most
telling is the sharp spike in domestic violence. The NAACP investigation notes that, since the spill, reports
of domestic violence have doubled and even tripled in some communities along
the Gulf.
Jacqueline
Patterson, the Director of the NAACP Climate Change Initiative sees a striking
similarity between the lingering impact the oil disaster has had on the Gulf’s
water and the impact on the residents. “A year after the BP oil rig explosion that dumped 172 million gallons
of oil into the Gulf, the surface of the water appears to be back to
normal. Below, however, the ocean
floor is severely damaged and many underwater habitats are struggling to
recover. The same can be said for
Gulf Coast residents. News reports
that have focused on the “Spillionaires” – those who have cashed in big on the
BP payouts – fail to look below the surface and see those unhealed mental and
physical wounds left by the disaster.”
Unfortunately,
the needs of residents attempting to cope with the increased stress have been
largely unmet. Little to no
infrastructure is in place to help families deal with the overwhelming anxiety
brought on by the disaster. The
region has few health care facilities because many fishermen in the coastal
area do not have health insurance. Additionally, those who do seek treatment are often misdiagnosed and
mistreated by doctors unfamiliar with the symptoms.
“Immediate
reform is needed to prevent victims of the Gulf oil spill from falling through
the cracks,” states NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. The investigation suggests that BP
finance physical and mental health care systems to ensure those affected by the
oil spill receive quality treatment from trained professionals.
Additionally,
it indicates that BP should invest in rebuilding affected areas. By generating new jobs, residents will
carry less stress about their financial stability.
“We can
not turn a blind eye to Gulf residents who are still struggling to find
normalcy,” says Jealous. “We must
make sure the problems that Gulf residents still face are brought to the
surface and remedied before another year passes.”
