Mental Health Outcomes for Professional and other Emergency Workers of Oil Spill Disasters: A Scoping Review
Location
LSUHSC-NO
Publication Date
April 2026
Start Date
9-4-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
9-4-2026 2:00 PM
Description
Introduction: Although major oil spills are not a common occurrence, their lasting health effects are severe. Due to the rareness of these spills, current research is relatively minimal. The existing research primarily focuses on marine food, immediate health symptoms, air quality, and environmental contamination. However, the research on mental health impacts is less prevalent. Following the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, studies showed these communities were 1.8-3.6 times more likely to have clinically significant symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress, and GAD as well as higher levels of stress in fishing communities even after three years.
Objective: Our ongoing review is a first systematic synthesis of evidence related exclusively to mental health and oil spill disasters. This abstract works with a subset of data to determine mental health outcomes in emergency workers, the fishing industry, and cleanup workers.
Methods: The systemic review was completed using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. Databases used include EBSCO, PubMed, CINAHL Ultimate, and Embase. Criteria included publications between 1967- 2024 and search terms "oil spill" and "mental health OR psych". Exclusion criteria included non-academic journal or dissertation publications, multiple or non-oil disasters, gas pollution, physical health, and non-English studies. Covidence program was used for screening and data extraction. This abstract includes data on emergency responders and clean-up workers with outcomes of PTSD, depression, stress, anxiety, fear, and substance use.
Discussion: While the data of this study is still being extracted and analyzed, the results aim to assess to what extent studies have examined mental health outcomes in specialized professional populations impacted by oil spill disasters. Synthesis of these results may highlight a need for specialized interventions to be developed for these professions that are highly impacted by oil spill disasters.
Recommended Citation
Wisen, William; Barker, Chikira; Wheat, Stephen; and Pierson, Clara, "Mental Health Outcomes for Professional and other Emergency Workers of Oil Spill Disasters: A Scoping Review" (2026). Dept. of Psychiatry Research Symposium. 32.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/psych_rd/2026/posters/32
Mental Health Outcomes for Professional and other Emergency Workers of Oil Spill Disasters: A Scoping Review
LSUHSC-NO
Introduction: Although major oil spills are not a common occurrence, their lasting health effects are severe. Due to the rareness of these spills, current research is relatively minimal. The existing research primarily focuses on marine food, immediate health symptoms, air quality, and environmental contamination. However, the research on mental health impacts is less prevalent. Following the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, studies showed these communities were 1.8-3.6 times more likely to have clinically significant symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress, and GAD as well as higher levels of stress in fishing communities even after three years.
Objective: Our ongoing review is a first systematic synthesis of evidence related exclusively to mental health and oil spill disasters. This abstract works with a subset of data to determine mental health outcomes in emergency workers, the fishing industry, and cleanup workers.
Methods: The systemic review was completed using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. Databases used include EBSCO, PubMed, CINAHL Ultimate, and Embase. Criteria included publications between 1967- 2024 and search terms "oil spill" and "mental health OR psych". Exclusion criteria included non-academic journal or dissertation publications, multiple or non-oil disasters, gas pollution, physical health, and non-English studies. Covidence program was used for screening and data extraction. This abstract includes data on emergency responders and clean-up workers with outcomes of PTSD, depression, stress, anxiety, fear, and substance use.
Discussion: While the data of this study is still being extracted and analyzed, the results aim to assess to what extent studies have examined mental health outcomes in specialized professional populations impacted by oil spill disasters. Synthesis of these results may highlight a need for specialized interventions to be developed for these professions that are highly impacted by oil spill disasters.