One of biggest public health impacts of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident is psychosocial. Anxiety about radiation is still present, and radiation risk perception, particularly with regard to genetic effects, is known to affect mental health. However, roles of other risk factors such as health anxiety and of mindfulness remain to be proved. Here, we examined how radiation risk perception (genetic effects) mediates in health anxiety and psychological distress, and how mindfulness influences those variables. Seven years after the accident, we commissioned a self-reported online survey with 832 participants, 416 each from Fukushima and Tokyo, and modeled the relationship between those variables using Structural Equation Modeling. Health anxiety had a much stronger influence on psychological distress than radiation risk perception. Mindfulness was significantly correlated with both health anxiety and psychological distress, but not with radiation risk perception. The total effects on psychological distress were −0.38 by mindfulness and +0.38 by health anxiety. These results suggest the potential application of mindfulness-based interventions to alleviate health anxiety and psychological distress rather than therapy focused on radiation anxiety. The results underline the effectiveness of community support efforts in Fukushima and highlight the importance of enhancing mindfulness during the chronic phase following a disaster.

The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident in 2011 produced over 100000 evacuees. In order to deal with an increased need of mental health care, brief, transdiagnostic Telephonic Interventions (TI) have been provided for those at risk of different mental health problems identified based on results of the Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey (MHLS). This study aimed to examine usefulness of TI with focusing on evacuees’ subjective estimation assessed in individual follow-up interviews. The sample comprised 484 persons who had been evacuated from 13 municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture to 8 safer regions in and out of Fukushima. We conducted semi-structured interviews for participants receiving TI (intervention group) and those not receiving TI despite being identified as high risk (non-intervention group). The intervention group was older, had a higher proportion of self-reported mental illness, and higher unemployment compared with the non-intervention group. The satisfaction proportion of those who underwent TI was as high as 74.6%. Satisfaction was significantly associated with advance knowledge of TI availability (OR = 3.00, 95% CI: 1.59‐5.64), and advice on health-related practices (OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.12‐4.13). Thus, TI is considered to be feasible and useful for public health management practices in major disasters.

Kawauchi village in Fukushima prefecture was affected by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident, and residents had to evacuate from their hometown in 2011. This study clarified the timing and related factors with regard to residents returning to or newly settling in Kawauchi. A survey was conducted using a questionnaire, from February to March 2021, with assistance from the Kawauchi village office and post office. Of the 374 residents, 170 (45.5%) had returned to or newly settled in Kawauchi within the past 2 years (group 1), 84 (22.5%) in the past 2–5 years (group 2), and 99 (26.5%) after more than 5 years (group 3) following the evacuation order. An additional 21 residents (5.5%) who had lived in Kawauchi at the time of the FDNPP had not yet returned (group 4). Compared with the other groups, residents in group 1 were more satisfied with their current lives and were coping better with stress. Even though they had experienced a serious nuclear disaster, residents of Kawauchi village who returned to their hometown in the early phase had a high sense of satisfaction with their current life one decade after the FDNPP accident.

Since the Fukushima accident, radiation risk perception has been of public concern. Factors related to regional differences in radiation risk perception and the role that knowledge of radiation effects plays are still not clearly understood. Here, we first assessed the validity of the Lindell radiation risk perception scale by comparing it with the mortality rate of traffic accidents. We then investigated the relationship between the perceptions and both the geographical regions and the knowledge of genetic effects and, further, verified the mediating role of knowledge in the perception. The sample comprised of 832 participants who responded to an online questionnaire in August 2018 from Tokyo and Fukushima. There was a significant association between the Lindell scale and the perceived magnitude of genetic risk relative to traffic accident mortality. Knowledge of genetic effects, after the atomic bombs, was associated with perceptions of lower genetic risks. The relationship between geographical region and risk perception was mediated by knowledge. However, approximately 40% of those who had knowledge still perceived a high risk, indicating that perception is not governed by knowledge alone. In addition to efforts to share knowledge, it is important to interactively communicate regarding risk to alleviate the anxiety felt by individuals.

Ten years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident on 11 March 2011. Okuma is a town hosting the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The evacuation order for Okuma was partially lifted in April 2019. To clarify factors associated with risk perceptions of radiation among the residents of Okuma, we conducted a questionnaire survey in January 2021. Our results revealed that resident anxieties regarding the health effects of radiation exposure from living in Okuma were independently associated with positive PCL-Specific score, recognition of the consultation services with radiation experts in the municipal government of Okuma, and planned request for consultation service regarding radiation exposure by radiation experts, along with being female and living with a child. It is important for radiation experts to promote periodic communication of risks with individuals on a small scale to provide accurate information about the health effects of radiation and to provide maternal and child healthcare services and support regarding child-rearing and radiation exposure, to reduce concerns about radiation exposure and facilitate healthy living and wellbeing in Okuma.