Individuals living close to fracking operations experience greater odds of mental illness and substance use during pregnancy, says a new report co-authored by two Department of Health and Society professors.
In “Proximity and density of unconventional natural gas wells and mental illness and substance use among pregnant individuals: An exploratory study in Canada,” Prof. Élyse Caron-Beaudoin and Prof. Anita Benoit, alongside colleagues from other institutions, present a retrospective birth cohort study including 6333 women who gave birth at the Fort St John hospital, the largest hospital in Northeastern British Columbia, Canada, over a ten-year period. The report was published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health.
The study shows positive associations between natural gas well density and proximity within 10 and 5 km radius of pregnant individuals’ postal codes, and increased prevalence of depression.
“Extraction of natural gas using hydraulic fracturing is an important industry in Canada (mostly British Columbia and Alberta) with Canada being one of the most important producers of natural gas in the world,” said Prof. Caron-Beaudoin. “Living near natural gas operations has been associated with an array of deleterious health outcomes, including negative pregnancy and birth outcomes. However, very little is known about the potential impacts of this industry on mental health during pregnancy. This study adds to the growing body of evidence around the adverse health outcomes of living near unconventional natural gas operations.”