scholarly journals Perception of Radiation Risk as a Predictor of Mid-Term Mental Health after a Nuclear Disaster: The Fukushima Health Management Survey

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Itaru Miura ◽  
Masato Nagai ◽  
Masaharu Maeda ◽  
Mayumi Harigane ◽  
Senta Fujii ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Radiation Risk ◽  
Nuclear Disaster

scholarly journals Mental Health Consequences and Social Issues After the Fukushima Disaster

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 36S-46S ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaharu Maeda ◽  
Misari Oe
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Radiation Risk ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Psychosocial Consequences ◽  
Physical Diseases ◽  
Chronic Anxiety

The Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent nuclear power plant accident caused multidimensional and long-term effects on the mental health condition of people living in Fukushima. In this article, focusing on the influence of the nuclear disaster, we present an overview of studies regarding the psychosocial consequences of people in Fukushima. Studies revealed that the experiences of the explosions at the plant as well as the tsunami are deeply embedded in their memory, leading to posttraumatic responses. Chronic physical diseases, worries about livelihood, lost jobs, lost social ties, and concerns about compensation were also associated with posttraumatic responses. Furthermore, the radioactive fallout brought chronic anxiety regarding physical risks of radiation exposure to people, especially young mothers. People often have different opinions about the radiation risk and their own future plans, resulting in a reduction in the resilience that communities and families had before the disaster. In addition, such weakened community resilience may produce a significant increase in disaster-related suicide in Fukushima. Specific social issues, such as “radiation stigma” among the public and self-stigma among evacuees, that are never seen with other natural disasters also increased in Fukushima.

Healing Fukushima: Radiation hazards and disaster medicine in post-3.11 Japan

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shi Lin Loh ◽  
Sulfikar Amir
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Radiation Risk ◽  
Disaster Medicine ◽  
Radiation Hazards ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Life And Death ◽  
Nuclear Disaster ◽  
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

What happens when expertise is forced to face disasters of unprecedented scales? How is knowledge produced in critical moments when every action and decision is a matter of life and death? And how are local social networks mobilized to cope with unforeseen crisis? This paper addresses these questions by examining the emergence of disaster medicine expertise in the aftermath of Fukushima nuclear disaster that struck Japan in 2011. Studies on Fukushima’s impact have to date revolved around the suffering of Tōhoku citizens and the development of Japan’s nuclear energy industry. Acknowledging the gravity of such work, this paper offers an alternative, but equally crucial angle on the disaster: that of the medical caregiving and public health system built in response to radiation hazards resulting from the triple meltdowns at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. Through detailed interviews conducted with eight medical practitioners in Fukushima Prefecture, this paper analyses the significance and impact of Japan’s most recent radiation disaster on its public health infrastructure. To describe the contingent nature of radiation disaster medicine developed in response to radiation risk in Fukushima, we draw on Jasanoff’s characterization of scientific knowledge as ‘serviceable truths’ with regards to public policy and the law, suggesting that expertise in relation to disasters is usefully understood in analogous terms.

The impact of working conditions on the health of taxi drivers in an urban metropolis

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 671-686
Author(s):  
Husayn Marani ◽  
Brenda Roche ◽  
Laura Anderson ◽  
Minnie Rai ◽  
Payal Agarwal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Primary Care Providers ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Taxi Drivers ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis descriptive qualitative study explores how working conditions impact the health of taxi drivers in Toronto, Canada.Design/methodology/approachDrivers were recruited between September 2016 and March 2017. A total of 14 semi-structured qualitative interviews and one focus group (n = 11) were conducted. Transcripts were analyzed inductively through a socioecological lens.FindingsThe findings of this study are as follows: drivers acknowledged that job precariousness (represented by unstable employment, long hours and low wages) and challenging workplace conditions (sitting all day and limited breaks) contribute to poor physical/mental health. Also, these conditions undermine opportunities to engage in health-protective behaviors (healthy eating, regularly exercising and taking breaks). Drivers do not receive health-enabling reinforcements from religious/cultural networks, colleagues or their taxi brokerage. Drivers do seek support from their primary care providers and family for their physical health but remain discreet about their mental health.Research limitations/implicationsAs this study relied on a convenience sample, the sample did not represent all Toronto taxi drivers. All interviews were completed in English and all drivers were male, thus limiting commentary on other experiences and any gender differences in health management approaches among drivers.Practical implicationsGiven the global ubiquity of taxi driving and an evolving workplace environment characterized by growing competition, findings are generalizable across settings and may resonate with other precarious professions, including long-haul truck operators and Uber/Lyft drivers. Findings also expose areas for targeted intervention outside the workplace setting.Originality/valueHealth management among taxi drivers is understudied. A fulsome, socioecological understanding of how working conditions (both within and outside the workplace) impact their health is essential in developing targeted interventions to improve health outcomes.

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