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Severe Psychological Distress of Evacuees in Evacuation Zone Caused by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident: The Fukushima Health Management Survey

Author

Listed:
  • Yasuto Kunii
  • Yuriko Suzuki
  • Tetsuya Shiga
  • Hirooki Yabe
  • Seiji Yasumura
  • Masaharu Maeda
  • Shin-ichi Niwa
  • Akira Otsuru
  • Hirobumi Mashiko
  • Masafumi Abe
  • Mental Health Group of the Fukushima Health Management Survey

Abstract

Background: Following the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant has continued to affect the mental health status of residents in the evacuation zone. To examine the mental health status of evacuee after the nuclear accident, we conducted the Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey as part of the ongoing Fukushima Health Management Survey. Methods: We measured mental health status using the Kessler 6-item psychological distress scale (K6) in a total of 73,569 (response rate: 40.7%) evacuees aged 15 and over who lived in the evacuation zone in Fukushima Prefecture. We then dichotomized responders using a 12/13 cutoff on the K6, and compared the proportion of K6 scores ≥13 and ≤12 in each risk factor including demographic information, socioeconomic variables, and disaster-related variables. We also performed bivariate analyses between mental health status and possible risk factors using the chi-square test. Furthermore, we performed multivariate regression analysis using modified Poisson regression models. Results: The median K6 score was 5 (interquartile range: 1–10). The number of psychological distress was 8,717 (14.6%). We found that significant differences in the prevalence of psychological distress by almost all survey items, including disaster-related risk factors, most of which were also associated with increased Prevalence ratios (PRs). Additionally, we found that psychological distress in each evacuation zone was significantly positively associated with the radiation levels in their environment (r = 0.768, p = 0.002). Conclusion: The earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear accident likely caused severe psychological distress among residents in the evacuation zone in Fukushima Prefecture. The close association between psychological distress and the radiation levels shows that the nuclear accident seriously influenced the mental health of the residents, which might be exacerbated by increased risk perception. To provide prompt and appropriate support, continued psychosocial intervention for evacuees is strongly recommended.

Suggested Citation

  • Yasuto Kunii & Yuriko Suzuki & Tetsuya Shiga & Hirooki Yabe & Seiji Yasumura & Masaharu Maeda & Shin-ichi Niwa & Akira Otsuru & Hirobumi Mashiko & Masafumi Abe & Mental Health Group of the Fukushima H, 2016. "Severe Psychological Distress of Evacuees in Evacuation Zone Caused by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident: The Fukushima Health Management Survey," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(7), pages 1-15, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0158821
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158821
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    1. Fang Su & Bingjie Fan & Nini Song & Xue Dong & Yanxia Wang & Jingzhong Li & Bing Xue & Xianrong Qiao, 2021. "Survey on Public Psychological Intervention Demand and Influence Factors Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-16, April.
    2. Tianlong Yu & Hao Yang & Xiaowei Luo & Yifeng Jiang & Xiang Wu & Jingqi Gao, 2021. "Scientometric Analysis of Disaster Risk Perception: 2000–2020," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-19, December.
    3. Yuri Kinoshita & Chihiro Nakayama & Naomi Ito & Nobuaki Moriyama & Hajime Iwasa & Seiji Yasumura, 2022. "Subjective Wellbeing and Related Factors of Older Adults Nine and a Half Years after the Great East Japan Earthquake: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Coastal Area of Soma City," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-18, February.
    4. Junko Okuyama & Shin-Ichi Izumi & Shunichi Funakoshi & Shuji Seto & Hiroyuki Sasaki & Kiyoshi Ito & Fumihiko Imamura & Mayumi Willgerodt & Yu Fukuda, 2022. "Supporting adolescents’ mental health during COVID-19 by utilising lessons from the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-13, December.
    5. Nobuaki Moriyama & Hajime Iwasa & Masaharu Tsubokura & Yujiro Kuroda & Seiji Yasumura, 2019. "Living in the Restoration Public Housing after the Great East Japan Earthquake Correlates with Lower Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-14, July.
    6. Mayumi Harigane & Hiromi Imuta & Seiji Yasumura & Fumikazu Hayashi & Hironori Nakano & Tetsuya Ohira & Masaharu Maeda & Hirooki Yabe & Yuriko Suzuki & Kenji Kamiya & on behalf of the Mental Health Gro, 2021. "Factors Hindering Social Participation among Older Residents from Evacuation Zones after the Nuclear Power Plant Accident in Fukushima: The Fukushima Health Management Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-14, April.
    7. Kyoko Yoshioka‐Maeda & Mariko Kuroda & Taisuke Togari, 2018. "Difficulties of fathers whose families evacuated voluntarily after the Fukushima nuclear disaster," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(3), pages 296-303, September.
    8. Justin Pence & Ian Miller & Tatsuya Sakurahara & James Whitacre & Seyed Reihani & Ernie Kee & Zahra Mohaghegh, 2019. "GIS‐Based Integration of Social Vulnerability and Level 3 Probabilistic Risk Assessment to Advance Emergency Preparedness, Planning, and Response for Severe Nuclear Power Plant Accidents," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 39(6), pages 1262-1280, June.
    9. Eri Eguchi & Tetsuya Ohira & Hironori Nakano & Fumikazu Hayashi & Kanako Okazaki & Mayumi Harigane & Narumi Funakubo & Atsushi Takahashi & Kanae Takase & Masaharu Maeda & Seiji Yasumura & Hirooki Yabe, 2021. "Association between Laughter and Lifestyle Diseases after the Great East Japan Earthquake: The Fukushima Health Management Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-12, December.
    10. George Collett & William R. Young & Wendy Martin & Rhona M. Anderson, 2021. "Exposure Worry: The Psychological Impact of Perceived Ionizing Radiation Exposure in British Nuclear Test Veterans," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-18, November.

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