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Mental Health Consequences of the Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima Nuclear Disasters: A Scoping Review

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  • Misari Oe

    (Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Kurume University, Asahi-machi 67, Kurume 830-0011, Japan)

  • Yui Takebayashi

    (Department of Disaster Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan)

  • Hideki Sato

    (Department of Disaster Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan)

  • Masaharu Maeda

    (Department of Disaster Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan)

Abstract

Many individuals who were affected by the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami and the subsequent Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident continue to face a challenging recovery. We reviewed the long-term mental health consequences of three major nuclear power plant accidents: the Three Mile Island (TMI, 1979), Chernobyl (1986), and Fukushima (2011) nuclear disasters. We examined the relevant prospective cohort studies and before-and-after studies that covered more than two timepoints, searching four databases (PubMed, Ichushi, PsyArticles, and PTSDPub). We identified a total of 35 studies: TMI, n = 11; Chernobyl, n = 6; and Fukushima, n = 18. The smaller numbers of early-phase studies (within 6 months) of the Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters may also indicate the chaotic situation at those timepoints, as large-scale interviews were conducted in the early phase after the TMI disaster. Although the patterns of effects on mental health outcomes were diverse, more than half of the participants in the studies we evaluated were categorized into low or under-threshold symptom groups in all three disasters. Across the three disasters, the radiation exposure level estimated by the proximity and stigma were the common risk factors for mental health outcomes. Our findings will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the impact of the worst nuclear accidents in history on the affected individuals’ mental health, and our results illustrate the longitudinal consequences of such disasters.

Suggested Citation

  • Misari Oe & Yui Takebayashi & Hideki Sato & Masaharu Maeda, 2021. "Mental Health Consequences of the Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima Nuclear Disasters: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-16, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:14:p:7478-:d:593640
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Itaru Miura & Masato Nagai & Masaharu Maeda & Mayumi Harigane & Senta Fujii & Misari Oe & Hirooki Yabe & Yuriko Suzuki & Hideto Takahashi & Tetsuya Ohira & Seiji Yasumura & Masafumi Abe, 2017. "Perception of Radiation Risk as a Predictor of Mid-Term Mental Health after a Nuclear Disaster: The Fukushima Health Management Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-13, September.
    2. Goldsteen, Raymond & Schorr, John K. & Goldsteen, Karen S., 1989. "Longitudinal study of appraisal at Three Mile Island: Implications for life event research," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 389-398, January.
    3. Yuriko Suzuki & Yoshitake Takebayashi & Seiji Yasumura & Michio Murakami & Mayumi Harigane & Hirooki Yabe & Tetsuya Ohira & Akira Ohtsuru & Satomi Nakajima & Masaharu Maeda, 2018. "Changes in Risk Perception of the Health Effects of Radiation and Mental Health Status: The Fukushima Health Management Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-11, June.
    4. Norris, Fran H. & Tracy, Melissa & Galea, Sandro, 2009. "Looking for resilience: Understanding the longitudinal trajectories of responses to stress," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(12), pages 2190-2198, June.
    5. Misari Oe & Masaharu Maeda & Tetsuya Ohira & Shuntaro Itagaki & Mayumi Harigane & Yuriko Suzuki & Hirooki Yabe & Seiji Yasumura & Kenji Kamiya & Hitoshi Ohto, 2018. "Trajectories of Emotional Symptoms and Peer Relationship Problems in Children after Nuclear Disaster: Evidence from the Fukushima Health Management Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, January.
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    1. Yuya Kashiwazaki & Hitomi Matsunaga & Makiko Orita & Yasuyuki Taira & Keiko Oishi & Noboru Takamura, 2022. "Occupational Difficulties of Disaster-Affected Local Government Employees in the Long-Term Recovery Phase after the Fukushima Nuclear Accident: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Modeling Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-10, March.

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