Living near oil and gas activity linked to poor mental health during preconception

A new study suggests that people who are trying to conceive and live close to oil and gas development sites have a heightened risk of developing adverse mental health outcomes. The study found that people who lived within roughly six miles of active oil and gas development had greater development of moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms, compared to people living 12 to 31 miles away from this activity. High perceived stress was elevated among people living just 1.25 miles away from oil and gas development, and greater intensity of oil and gas production also contributed to high perceived stress.