Louisiana asks BP for $10 million for mental health services for those affected by oil spill

From Mental Health News. CNN also reports 162 cases of illness from the oil spill.

The Secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals in Louisiana, Alan Levine, has asked BP for $10 million in funding for mental health services for Louisiana residents who are affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

This is the second request made by Louisiana for funding for mental health services. Levine first made the request a month ago, but BP has not yet agreed to provide the funding.

In a letter sent yesterday to Doug Suttles, Chief Operating Officer of BP America, Levine states that counselors in affected communities are already warning that a mental health crisis is in the works in Louisiana due to “anger, anxiety, and uncertainty among the families and communities affected by the spill.”

Levine stated that counseling teams have already worked with nearly 2,000 individuals affected by the spill, and among the psychological issues reported are anxiety, depression, stress, grief, excessive drinking, and suicidal thoughts. These are warning signs, Levine says, of future more serious problems including “substance abuse and dependence, mental illness, suicide and familial breakdown including divorce, spouse abuse, and child abuse and neglect.”

The $10 million is being requested to fund six months of continuing mental health outreach activities through the Department of Health and Hospitals, which has provided counseling through an outreach program called Louisiana Spirit.

BP has also received a separate request from Catholic Charities for over $23 million, over $3 million of which is designated for mental health services. Levine’s letter to Suttles indicates that the state supports the request of Catholic Charities, and that the state would coordinate with Catholic Charities and any other groups that provide mental health services to affected residents.

The request comes quickly after the suicide of an Alabama charter boat captain last week. Allen “Rookie” Kruse, who had been contracted by BP to assist with spill clean-up and whose family said he was devastated by the oil spill, died due to a gun-shot wound and his death was ruled a suicide by the coroner. This dramatic development has certainly made clear the mental health risks for Gulf area residents, particularly those who make their living on the water.