Psychological and Perceived Health Effects of the Chernobyl Disaster: A 20-Year Review

Abstract

The mental health impact of Chernobyl is regarded by many experts as the largest public health problem unleashed by the accident to date. This paper reviews findings reported during the 20-y period after the accident regarding stress-related symptoms, effects on the developing brain, and cognitive and psychological impairments among highly exposed cleanup workers. With respect to stress-related symptoms, the rates of depressive, anxiety (especially post-traumatic stress symptoms), and medically unexplained physical symptoms are two to four times higher in Chernobyl-exposed populations compared to controls, although rates of diagnosable psychiatric disorders do not appear to be elevated. The symptom elevations were found as late as 11 y after the accident. Severity of symptomatology is significantly related to risk perceptions and being diagnosed with a Chernobyl-related health problem. In general, the morbidity patterns are consistent with the psychological impairments documented after other toxic events, such as the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Three Mile Island accident, and Bhopal. With respect to the developing brain of exposed children who were in utero or very young when the accident occurred, the World Health Organization as well as American and Israeli researchers have found no significant associations of radiation exposure with cognitive impairments. Cognitive impairments in highly exposed cleanup workers have been reported by Ukrainian researchers, but these findings have not been independently confirmed. A seminal study found a significant excess death rate from suicide in cleanup workers, suggesting a sizable emotional toll. Given the magnitude and persistence of the adverse mental health effects on the general population, long-term educational and psychosocial interventions should be initiated that target primary care physicians, local researchers, and high risk populations, including participants in ongoing cohort studies.

Psychological Distress After the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident: Results of a Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey Through the Fukushima Health Management Survey in Fy2011 and Fy2012

“…According to a review of the existing literature on mental health after the previous nuclear power plant accidents, psychological reactions observed in the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents also occurred in Fukushima 2,3) . That is, the affected people experienced confusion, distrust, mental health problems, and stigma.…”

Psychometric Evaluation of the Japanese Version of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist in Community Dwellers Following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Incident

“…In fact, one previous study reported that there was high excess mortality among institutionalized older people who were relocated after the disaster in this area (Yasumura, Goto, Yamazaki, & Reich, 2013). Other explanations for the higher scores include that, compared with the young and middle-aged groups, the older group had a lower education level (Heir et al, 2011) and poorer self-rated health (Breslau, 2001b), and had experienced much greater frequencies of disaster-related traumatic events (Bromet & Havenaar, 2007;Heir et al, 2011;Tural et al, 2004;Zhang et al, 2011), all of which are risk factors for PTSD. This study has some limitations.…”

“…In addition, correlations were moderate with self-rated health and sleep satisfaction, and strong with psychological distress (Table 3). These results indicate that the PCL-S has good validity in relation to (a) mental illness and psychological distress (Armour et al, 2012;Breslau, 2001a;Wilkins et al, 2011;Zhang et al, 2011), (b) self-rated health (Breslau, 2001b), (c) sleep problems (Germain et al, 2005), and (d) experiencing disasterrelated events (i.e., bereavement, tsunami, and the NPP incident; Bromet & Havenaar, 2007;Heir et al, 2011;Tural et al, 2004;Zhang et al, 2011).…”

Psychological Impact of Nuclear Disasters in Children and Adolescents

“…12 Increased rates of trisomy-21 have also been correlated to in-utero radiation exposure in several European countries in the years following Chernobyl. 16,17 …”