Oil industry 'has doubled Louisiana stress rate'

The impact of the oil industry on the states affected by the Gulf of Mexico spill has again been quantified in research from Louisiana State University.

Rather than looking at the environmental impact of the Deepwater Horizon leak, researchers interviewed residents on issues such as their mental health.

They found that stress rates have more than doubled among coastal residents in terms of how individuals assess their own mental condition.

Nearly 43 per cent of respondents have found themselves distracted from their day jobs by concerns about the oil spill.

And seven in ten are concerned that the leak from the BP-operated rig could force them to leave their homes and move elsewhere.

Troy Blanchard, one of the professors who conducted the study, says: "The data suggest that significant public health resources may be required to assist residents."

Collaborator and fellow professor at the university Matthew Lee adds: "It is imperative that we begin work now to better understand the human impacts of this situation."