This seminar will discuss two complementary studies on the links between oil and gas development and community mental health outcomes. In the first study, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from a cohort of pregnancy planners in the U.S. and Canada. We found that participants who resided closer to active oil and gas development sites had higher prevalences of increased perceived stress and moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms. In the second study, we conducted a quasi-experimental analysis of the boom-and-bust cycles of oil and gas development with respect to inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations among Medicaid beneficiaries. We found that county-level oil and gas development bust periods were associated with a small but detectable increase in psychiatric hospitalization rates, particularly attention, anxiety, and mood disorders. However, we observed no consistent associations during the boom periods. Together, these findings suggest that both environmental and economic pathways from oil and gas development may contribute to worse community mental health.
