Immediate effects of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster on depressive symptoms among mothers with infants: a prefectural-wide cross-sectional study from the Fukushima Health Management Survey

Abstract

BackgroundMothers of young children are at high-risk for developing adverse mental health effects following a nuclear accident. Using the Japanese pregnancy registration system, the prefecture of Fukushima launched a population-based survey of women who were pregnant at the time of the Fukushima nuclear accident in order to assess their and their newborns’ health. In this paper, we focus on the results of a screen for depressive symptoms among new mothers and its association with geographical region and interruption of obstetrical care after the Fukushima nuclear accident, which occurred after the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011.MethodsThe survey targeted women who lived in Fukushima prefecture and who had registered their pregnancies between August 1, 2010 and July 31, 2011. Among the 16,001 women targeted, 9,321 returned the questionnaires (response proportion = 58.3%) and data from 8,196 women with singleton live births were analyzed. The main outcome measure was a standard two-item depression screen. Regional radiation levels were determined from the prefecture’s periodical reports, and interruption in obstetrical care after the Fukushima nuclear accident was determined from mothers’ individual responses to the questionnaire.ResultsAmong the 8,196 women, 2,262 (28%) screened positive for depressive symptoms. After adjusting for maternal and infant characteristics, both mothers in Soso, the region in which the nuclear power plant is located, and mothers that had changed obstetrical care facilities were significantly more likely to screen positive for depression. In contrast, mothers in Iwaki and Aizu, regions with relatively low radiation levels, were significantly less likely to screen positive for depression.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that improving mental health support for mothers with infants should be a high priority in the acute phase of nuclear disaster response. We further recommend that in the strategic provisioning of parental support, close attention should be paid to regional variations in negative mental health consequences, particularly to those who experienced an interruption in their obstetrical care.

Personality diatheses and Hurricane Sandy: effects on post-disaster depression

“…Adams et al 2011; Goto et al 2015), as well as evidence that mothers, relative to women without children, are particularly at risk for depression following a natural disaster (Havenaar et al 1997). Our results therefore emphasize the importance of interventions geared towards mothers with high NE/neuroticism or low PE/extraversion who are caring for children, as they may be particularly at risk in the context of major stressors, such as natural disasters.…”

Fukushima Mothers’ Concerns and Associated Factors After the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Disaster

“…2 Similarly, nuclear accidents have left mothers and children with severe, long-lasting psychological problems. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] After the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident, evacuee mothers in Kiev, Ukraine, who were directly affected by the accident, were found to have poorer psychological well-being and more negative risk perception than control subjects 11 4 and 19 5 years after the event, and in structured interviews they rated their children's health more negatively and reported more illnesses. 7 To reduce the psychological impact on children, it is important to treat parental anxiety, 9 including anxiety among the mothers of young children.…”

“…11 Using data derived from the Pregnancy and Birth Survey of the FHMS that targeted mothers with infants, 2262 of 8196 mothers (28%) screened positive for depression in 2011. 8 Related to this, a different survey in Fukushima City revealed a higher proportion of mothers who lacked confidence in child-rearing in the disaster year, which was associated with interpersonal problems at home. 12 One characteristic of the Pregnancy and Birth Survey is that respondents are given space to freely write their opinions.…”

“…Furthermore, by utilizing both the quantitative and qualitative data obtained, we were able to capture a more in-depth view of mothers' concerns. Building on the above-mentioned reports on mothers' mental health in Fukushima, 8,12 the present study sought to provide an in-depth exploration of mothers' concerns and anxiety by analyzing qualitative data gathered by the FHMS Pregnancy and Birth Survey. Specifically, this study aimed to clarify the frequency of and temporal changes in the content of mothers' free written opinions obtained in the FHMS Pregnancy and Birth Survey from 2011 to 2013.…”

Immediate Mental Consequences of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Accident on Mothers Experiencing Miscarriage, Abortion, and Stillbirth: The Fukushima Health Management Survey

“…In mothers with childbirth, characteristics of 8,196 women experiencing live births of singletons were summarized. Excluded were 458 women whose pregnancies ended before the accident, 146 women with unknown dates of pregnancy outcome, 9 women who were pregnant twice during the targeted period, 9 women who delayed responding, 22 women who left Fukushima Prefecture, 232 women who had other than a live birth as a pregnancy outcome, 85 women with twin pregnancies, 62 women who did not fill out the questionnaires by themselves, and 198 women who missed responding to the depression measure, with overlaps among these exclusion criteria as described in previous research 9) . Mental health was evaluated using a two -item case -finding instrument for depression.…”