The Immediate Physical and Mental Health Crisis in Residents Proximal to the Evacuation Zone After Japan's Nuclear Disaster: An Observational Pilot Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaharu Tsubokura ◽  
Kazuo Hara ◽  
Tomoko Matsumura ◽  
Amina Sugimoto ◽  
Shuhei Nomura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Clinical Parameters ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Nuclear Disaster

AbstractObjectiveThe 2011 earthquake and Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan have had devastating effects on residents near the damaged nuclear power plant, but quantifying its effect on their health has been difficult.MethodsAmong the 564 residents of Iitate Village and Soma City who enrolled in this study, we evaluated the changes of clinical parameters in 155 participants who underwent annual health evaluations in the previous year and after the earthquake. Psychological distress was also measured by using patient health questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9).ResultsParticipants (median age, 64 years) showed significant post-disaster increases in body weight, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and triglyceride levels. PHQ-9 scores of 10 or greater were found in 12% of the subjects, indicating that a substantial number had major depression.ConclusionsThe findings in this study showed substantial deterioration in clinical parameters related to lifestyle diseases and the presence of general psychological distress among residents living near the damaged nuclear power plant after the Fukushima Daiichi disaster. In addition to controlling the levels of radiation exposure, aggressive management of immediate physical and mental health crisis for residents may be necessary in future nuclear accidents. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1–7)

Distrust in government and its relationship with mental health after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident

2020 ◽  
pp. 002076402096812
Author(s):  
Maiko Fukasawa ◽  
Norito Kawakami ◽  
Maki Umeda ◽  
Tsuyoshi Akiyama ◽  
Naoko Horikoshi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Residential Area ◽  
National Government ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant Accident ◽  
Fukushima Prefecture ◽  
The Government

Background: Distrust in authorities has negative effects on mental health. Aims: In this study, we aimed to explore whether the impact of distrust in government on mental health became stronger in the area heavily affected by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. Methods: We examined the effects of distrust in the national government on depressive symptoms three years after the accident among community residents in Fukushima prefecture using those in the Kanto area (the area surrounding Tokyo) as a control. A questionnaire survey was administered to a random sample of 1000 residents in Fukushima prefecture and 1650 residents in the Kanto area. Distrust in the national government was assessed using a four-point single-item scale. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The associations of residential area (i.e. living in Fukushima prefecture or in the Kanto area) and distrust in the national government with depressive symptoms were examined, controlling for socio-demographic characteristics and disaster-related experiences using multivariate linear regression analyses. We used the interaction term of residential area and distrust in the government to explore the difference in the association between the respondents in Fukushima prefecture and those in the Kanto area. Results: Valid responses were obtained from 976 (36.8%) residents. Distrust in the government was associated with depressive symptoms and the association was stronger in Fukushima prefecture than in the Kanto area. Conclusion: The deleterious effects of distrust in the government on mental health may become more serious after a nuclear power plant accident and require careful attention during support activities in an affected area.

Role of nurses in a nuclear disaster: experience in the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident

2013 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Noto ◽  
C. Kitamiya ◽  
C. Itaki ◽  
M. Urushizaka ◽  
R. Kidachi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant Accident ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Disaster Experience

Psychological status of chernobyl nuclear power plant operators after the nuclear disaster

1993 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 561-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor S. Koscheyev ◽  
Vladimir K. Martens ◽  
Alexander A. Kosenkov ◽  
Michael A. Lartzev ◽  
Gloria R. Leon
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Psychological Status ◽  
Nuclear Disaster

scholarly journals The Fukushima Nuclear Accident Affected Mothers’ Depression but Not Maternal Confidence

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 139S-150S ◽  
Author(s):  
Aya Goto ◽  
Evelyn J. Bromet ◽  
Misao Ota ◽  
Akira Ohtsuru ◽  
Seiji Yasumura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Child Rearing ◽  
Maternal Confidence ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Radiation Contamination ◽  
Using Data

The Fukushima nuclear power plant accident caused widespread radiation contamination. Mothers of young children were at risk of negative emotional and mental health consequences. Using data from 2 independent prefecture-wide surveys of pregnant women, we examined the associations of disaster-related stressors with both maternal self-confidence and depressive symptoms. Two postal surveys were conducted targeting women who registered their pregnancies in Fukushima Prefecture (n = 6686 in 2012 and n = 6423 in 2013). The proportions of mothers with lower self-confidence in child rearing and with depressive symptoms were 53% and 25% in 2012 and 55% and 24% in 2013, respectively. After adjusting for maternal and infant characteristics, evacuation and concern about radiation were significantly associated with depressive symptoms but not lower maternal confidence, although these 2 outcomes were significantly associated. Mothers in Fukushima showed resilience in parenting, whereas their experiences and concerns in the aftermath of nuclear disaster were associated with depressive symptoms.

scholarly journals The Role of Religiosity to Address the Mental Health Crisis of Students: A Study on Three Parameters (Anxiety, Depression, and Stress)

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohmah Najihah Misran ◽  
Jamilah Hanum Abdul Khaiyom ◽  
Zul Azlin Razali
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Religiosity is a construct that has interesting implications in the mental health issues of youths. This study examines the role of religiosity on anxiety, depression, and stress using 148 Muslim students studying Islamic studies at undergraduate provision in an Islamic University as sample. Results indicated that the level of religiosity among the participants ranged from moderately religious to highly religious. The mean levels of anxiety, depression, and stress among the participants were moderate, and a significant number of students suffered from severe psychological distress. Female students were reported to experience significantly slightly more stress than male students. Furthermore, the relationship between religiosity, anxiety, and depression was significantly negative but not stressful. Further analysis found that religiosity serves as a protective factor for depression. Meanwhile, some religiosity components (i.e., avoidance of sinful acts and frequent conduct of recommended acts) were found to be a significant protective factor against anxiety and depression, respectively. Thus, in retrospect, mental health and religion appear to converge on managing psychological distress. As so to speak, this is a vital point in the emerging mental health services in which the incorporation of religious components into clinical practice may show good promising results in aiding the recovery process of psychological health issues. Likewise, embedding religiosity in one’s life, or being religiously minded, reflected in daily life manifestation, is linked with better mental health outcomes.

My Nuclear Nightmare

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoto Kan
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Tsunami Waves ◽  
Tokyo Metropolitan Area ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi ◽  
Day By Day

On March 11, 2011, a massive undersea earthquake off Japan's coast triggered devastating tsunami waves that in turn caused meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Ranked with Chernobyl as the worst nuclear disaster in history, Fukushima will have lasting consequences for generations. Until 3.11, Japan's Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, had supported the use of nuclear power. His position would undergo a radical change, however, as Kan watched the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 Power Plant unfold and came to understand the potential for the physical, economic, and political destruction of Japan. This book offers a fascinating day-by-day account of the Prime Minister's actions in the harrowing week after the earthquake struck. He records the anguished decisions he had to make as the scale of destruction became clear and the threat of nuclear catastrophe loomed ever larger—decisions made on the basis of information that was often unreliable. For example, frustrated by the lack of clarity from the executives at Tepco, the company that owned the power plant, Kan decided to visit Fukushima himself, despite the risks, so he could talk to the plant's manager and find out what was really happening on the ground. As the text details, a combination of extremely good fortune and hard work just barely prevented a total meltdown of all of Fukushima's reactor units, which would have necessitated the evacuation of the thirty million residents of the greater Tokyo metropolitan area.

Issues in Radiation Nursing Education in Japan Before and After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Teruko Horiuchi ◽  
Chieri Yamada ◽  
Misako Kinoshita ◽  
Nobuaki Moriyama ◽  
Seiji Yasumura
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Education ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant Accident ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Disaster Experience ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Fukushima Daiichi

Abstract Background: The response of nurses in Japan to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident was deemed inadequate. This study examined the issues in Japanese radiation nursing education. Method: Anonymous, self-administered postal questionnaires were sent to managers and teachers of 1053 basic nursing educational institutions in Japan. Results: Among the 342 institutions that completed the questionnaire, 218 (63.7%) had incorporated Radiological Nursing Education into their curriculum while 124 (36.3%) had not. Based on the time of their incorporation, they were divided into the pre-accident incorporation group and the post-accident incorporation groups. For 89 of 111 institutions (85.6%) in the former group, the main reason for the incorporation was radiotherapy care. For 11 of 26 institutions (42.3%) in the latter group, the incorporation was their response to the nuclear disaster. Conclusion: Nursing education in Japan has been inadequate, and as such, nurses find it hard to respond to nuclear disasters. Examining the current nursing education system and building a new model based on the nuclear disaster experience are urgent issues.

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