Five years after the water crisis, one in five residents of the city of Flint, Michigan, has PTSD

Data from the largest mental health survey in the Michigan Flint community shows that five years after the water crisis, one in five adults (about 13,600 people) is estimated to have clinical depression and one in four adults (about 15,000 people) is estimated to have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD
).

Aaron Reuben, a Duke University postdoc who led the study, said, "The largest public works environmental disaster in the United States apparently continues to place a mental health burden on
many adults in Flint.

On April 25, 2014, the City of Flint changed its water supply from Lake Huron and Detroit Rivers to Flint River, but failed to properly dispose of the water supply to prevent lead and other elements from seeping out of the city's
old water pipes.

Flint's drinking water was not declared lead-free
until January 24, 2017.

"We know that large-scale natural or man-made disasters can trigger or exacerbate depression and post-traumatic stress disorder," said
Dr.

According to Kilpatrick, the incidence of Flint's diagnosed depression and post-traumatic stress disorder over the past year is 3 to 5 times higher than the overall estimate for adults across the country, which could be a combination of the high underlying incidence of mental health problems in pre-crisis Flint and the serious worsening of problems caused by the crisis
.

"The vast majority of respondents have never received mental health services, despite clear indications that the crisis has caused psychological trauma
," Ruben said.

Flint, a predominantly low-income black community, faced residents here before the water crisis that could erode their mental health, including socioeconomic disadvantage, racism, and a high risk of exposure to potentially traumatic events, including previous physical or sexual assault
, Kielpatrick said.

Particularly alarmingly, the study found that those with a history of physical or sexual assault were more than three times more likely to develop depression than those without that history, and more than six times more likely to develop PTSD than those without that history
.

Depression and PTSD are among the most common and devastating mental disorders, costing more than $326 billion
annually in the United States due to the loss of working hours and increased medical costs.

"We study these problems after disasters because they are common outcomes because they have significant damage to individuals and communities," said Robert A.

The findings suggest that more should be done to provide mental health treatment
to Flint residents.

"It's clear that the need for this hasn't been met yet," said
Ruben, a postdoctoral fellow at ShanghaiTech University.

Ruben believes that after an environmental disaster, the uncertainty of exposure to polluted water and future hazards will increase psychological stress
.

The study, funded by a grant from the U.

According to the diagnostic criteria of DSM-5, data were collected on perceived exposure to contaminated water, the prevalence of depression and PTSD, and potential risk factors for depression and PTSD, including prior exposure to potentially traumatic events, prior physical or sexual assault, and low social support
.

Journal Reference:

1. Aaron Reuben, Angela Moreland, Salma M.
   Abdalla, Gregory H.
   Cohen, Matthew J.
   Friedman, Sandro Galea, Alex O.
   Rothbaum, Michael G.
   Schmidt, John E.
   Vena, Dean G.
   Kilpatrick.
   Prevalence of Depression and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Flint, Michigan, 5 Years After the Onset of the Water Crisis.
   JAMA Network Open, 2022; 5 (9): e2232556 DOI: 10.
   1001/jamanetworkopen.
   2022.
   32556

Duke University.
"Five years after water crisis, 1 in 5 Flint, Michigan residents has PTSD: Very high rates of depression and PTSD linked to water contamination.
" ScienceDaily.
ScienceDaily, 20 September 2022.
<www.
sciencedaily.
com/releases/2022/09/220920115556.
htm>.

Duke University.
(2022, September 20).
Five years after water crisis, 1 in 5 Flint, Michigan residents has PTSD: Very high rates of depression and PTSD linked to water contamination.
ScienceDaily.
Retrieved September 21, 2022 from www.
sciencedaily.
com/releases/2022/09/220920115556.
htm

Duke University.
"Five years after water crisis, 1 in 5 Flint, Michigan residents has PTSD: Very high rates of depression and PTSD linked to water contamination.
" ScienceDaily.
www.
sciencedaily.
com/releases/2022/09/220920115556.
htm (accessed September 21, 2022).