Mental Health Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Among Wives of Clean-up Workers.

The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in April 2010, resulting in widespread environmental, economic, and population health damage. Previous oil spills have resulted in emotional consequences in local populations that rely on affected areas for their economic and nutritional livelihoods.1–4 Less is known about the mental health effects among specific subpopulations, particularly women who may have been both directly and indirectly exposed to the oil and dispersants through their husbands who worked on clean-up efforts. The objective of this study is to describe the impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on the mental health of female partners of men who participated in oil spill clean-up efforts in southern Louisiana.