Mental Health

Although many of the behavioral and psychological effects of the oil spill remain unknown, a Gallup survey of nearly 2,600 residents revealed that medical diagnoses of depressive illness had increased by 25 percent since the rig explosion. The "well-being index" included in the Gallup study showed that coastal residents reported being stressed, worried, and sad more often than their inland counterparts. There is also an indication that domestic violence increased. Between April and June 2010, the Administration for Children and Families observed a spike in calls to the National Domestic Violence Hotline from Gulf coast states, most notably in Louisiana.