According to the study, those who thought the water crisis had a moderate or significant negative impact on their or their family's health had 123% higher rates of depression, 66% higher rates of PTSD, and 106% higher rates of comorbid depression and PTSD than their peers.
The findings showed that Black people received more mental health care than White inhabitants, and males were 28% less likely than women to satisfy the threshold for depression.
According to the study's authors, "The Flint community may need additional mental health care to satisfy the sustained psychiatric demand." Programs for national catastrophe planning and response should take mental consequences into account.
The latest study didn't look at the mental health of those living in other places, like Jackson, Mississippi, which just recently went through its own water crisis. However, according to Moreland-Johnson, those involved in catastrophes like Flint "may develop heightened PTSD and sadness."
The discovery is particularly important for those who have previously gone through a potentially traumatic incident, as "such earlier experiences may position them at heightened risk for mental health difficulties like PTSD and depression."
According to researchers, resident communication is crucial. Numerous city residents recently told CNN that despite new pipes and a different water source, eight years after the Flint water tragedy began, they still don't trust the water.
Audra Bell, whose family regularly buys 10 cases of bottled water each week for use in cooking, cleaning their teeth, and preparing coffee, pledged she would never drink the water again. LeeAnne Walters, their neighbour, claims she too practises this. "In Flint, there hasn't been any justice. Because the administration did nothing to restore public trust, it has not been possible. As a result, the voices are ignored and many suffer from severe PTSD while around water.