Surgeon General warns that mental health problems will arise from oil spill

From the Pensacola News Journal in Florida:

Stress and sadness caused by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill could develop into serious mental health problems if left untreated, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin warned mental health officials July 15.

"These are tough times," Benjamin, who grew up in southern Alabama and founded Bayou La Batre Health Clinic, told government officials and health care professionals gathered at Crabs We Got 'Em restaurant on Pensacola Beach. "Remember to take care of yourselves."

Benjamin warned the group to be on the alert for signs that people experiencing financial hardship from the spill are becoming seriously depressed and abusing drugs to deal with their anxiety.

A major question is how to finance necessary mental health services. Florida officials have been waiting three months for BP to respond to a request for $1.7 million for mental health and substance abuse prevention services.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness says BP rejected a $10 million request from Louisiana to fund mental health care in communities affected by the spill.

"It is imperative that BP recognize the urgent mental health crisis that has been created by the oil spill, including the heightened risk of long-term, chronic mental illness," the alliance's executive director, Michael Fitzpatrick, wrote in a letter Thursday to BP.

But Pamela Hyde, head of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, said BP still is reviewing requests from the five Gulf Coast states before deciding how to distribute mental health funding.

"I don't think they're declining anything right now," said Hyde, who accompanied Benjamin. "I think what BP is asking is that we get some coordinated response so they know how best to respond."

Adults and children have reacted differently to the spill. Beth Deck, regional director of Lutheran Services of Florida, said children got upset when a baby dolphin washed up dead on a beach.

"When you start hearing that stuff, it's really scary," Deck said.

Her agency is organizing summer camps, as it did after hurricanes, to help up to 50 children per week cope with stress. The camps will start July 26 for children in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Health care officials advised people to watch relatives and neighbors who might not seek help even if they need it.

"We're talking about very independent fishermen and shrimpers — folks who aren't expected to go in," Pensacola City Councilman P.C. Wu said.

Benjamin said she's trying to arrange for teams of health specialists to travel door-to-door. She described one woman who got upset while cooking gumbo because she had nothing to put in it.

"We're a very proud people," Benjamin said of the Gulf region. "Nobody's going to say they went to a crazy house. That's just not going to happen. They don't want to be stigmatized."