Enhancement of PTSD treatment through social support in Idobata-Nagaya community housing after Fukushima’s triple disaster

Abstract

Cognitive–behavioural therapy is a first-line treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but it is difficult to implement in disaster settings. We report the case of an 80-year-old Japanese woman, who was diagnosed with PTSD after the 2011 triple disaster (earthquake, tsunami and nuclear plant accident) in Fukushima. Her recovery was greatly enhanced by the social support she received while living in Idobata-Nagaya community housing, established by Soma city in Fukushima, where residents could naturally discuss their traumatic experiences. Habituation to traumatic memories and processing of cognitive aspects of the psychological trauma, which are therapeutic mechanisms of trauma-focused psychotherapies, spontaneously occurred in this setting. The details of this case support the effectiveness of Idobata Nagaya as a provider of psychological first aid, an evidence-informed approach to assist children, adolescents, adults and families in the aftermath of a disaster.

PTSD and bipolar II disorder in Fukushima disaster relief workers after the 2011 nuclear accident

“…In the case of an elderly woman with symptoms of PTSD caused by the tsunami, as reported by Hori et al, the recurrence was also caused by being involuntarily blamed for being involved in a severe conflict among residents in the communal dwelling where she was living. 23 Although our patient recovered from his mood disorder by using medication, he had two repeated flare-ups which led to the implementation of prolonged exposure therapy 16 17 -a psychotherapy focused on PTSD. North and Pfefferbaum have argued that less invasive treatments should be prioritised in the immediate aftermath of a disaster as an intervention for post-disaster PTSD, and specialised trauma-focused treatments should be provided only when depression and PTSD symptoms persist.…”

“…In the case of an elderly woman with symptoms of PTSD caused by the tsunami, as reported by Hori et al , the recurrence was also caused by being involuntarily blamed for being involved in a severe conflict among residents in the communal dwelling where she was living. 23 …”

Independent living of an elderly person with non-family, community support, and consequent prevention of lonely death: A case of Soma Idobata-Nagaya after the 2011 Fukushima disaster

“…Such opportunities help them heal from the damage caused by the earthquake. [11] The same effects could not have been attained in nursing home facilities.…”

Social Company by a Receptive Mating Partner Facilitates Fear Extinction

“…It is noteworthy that a positive social environment, including the attachment to intimate partners, is usually associated with better prognosis during treatment (DiGangi et al, 2013;Ferrer-Perez et al, 2019). Numerous clinical and animal studies have demonstrated the beneficial effect of social buffering on alleviating symptoms of PTSD (Kiyokawa et al, 2007;Hori et al, 2018;Charlson et al, 2019). Specifically, a variety of animal studies had focused on the contributions of social support from a same-sex unfamiliar partner during fear extinction training or retrieval test.…”