Rigged Stress
Living close to active oil and gas development sites may increase rates of stress and depression among women trying to conceive.
Read Time: 2 minutes
Published:
How far do you live from an oil rig? If you lived close by, you’d know it. Towns with oil and gas development (OGD) sites are often stripped of natural vegetation. The roads are dominated by pickup trucks, the clanging of heavy machinery lasts into the night, and the smell of petroleum permeates the air. These hallmarks of oil and gas towns affect not only the environment, but the daily lives of local families.
More than 17.6 million Americans live within one mile of oil and gas facilities, most of which are located in California, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Many families rely on oil and gas companies, as they employ many locals, but are subjected to the rapid economic growth and decline of the industry. This volatility often leaves workers and their families in precarious circumstances.
Beyond the impact of fossil fuel drilling on air and water quality, oil rigging may affect the mental and physical health of pregnant women and those trying to conceive, as stress is linked to infertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Mary Willis and colleagues compared the prevalence of stress and depression of women attempting to conceive based on their proximity to an OGD site. Using data from the Pregnancy Study Online and a national database of OGD well locations, the researchers estimated participant’s distance from the nearest oil rig. Additionally, women were categorized as having “no to moderate” or “moderate to high” symptoms of stress and depression.
The graphs above show the relationship between the distance from a woman’s home to an OGD site and prevalence of perceived stress and major depressive disorder. The number of women living 2 km away and experiencing symptoms of stress and depression were 1.08 and 1.27 times that of women living 20 km from oil and gas rigs. Stress and depression became less common among those who lived farther from these sites.
The sights, sounds, and smells of oil rigs may prove to be more than just nuisances, jeopardizing the health of prospective mothers. The authors recommend increasing access to mental health services in towns with oil rigs.
