Misari Oe1, Senta Fujii2,3, Masaharu Maeda2,3, Masato Nagai2,4, Mayumi Harigane2, Itaru Miura5, Hirooki Yabe5, Tetsuya Ohira2,4, Hideto Takahashi2, Yuriko Suzuki6, Seiji Yasumura2,7, Masafumi Abe2. 1. Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan. 2. Radiation Medical Science Center for the Fukushima Health Management Survey, Fukushima, Japan. 3. Department of Disaster Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan. 4. Department of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan. 5. Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan. 6. Department of Adult Mental Health, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan. 7. Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan.
Abstract
AIM: Prolonged periods of instability in terms of living environment can lead to a serious increase in mental health issues among disaster-affected individuals. The aim of this study was to assess long-term trends in mental health among adult residents in a nuclear-disaster-affected area. METHODS: Mail-based, self-administered questionnaire surveys were conducted three times (T1-T3), targeting all residents registered with the municipalities in the evacuation zone in Fukushima prefecture at the time of the disaster. Age-adjusted prevalences of the following were analyzed by sex: risk of psychological distress by the Kessler 6-item Scale, post-traumatic stress by the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist, and problem drinking by CAGE. RESULTS: The numbers of respondents and response rates were: 73 568, 40.7% (T1); 55 076, 29.9% (T2); and 46 386, 25.0% (T3). Compared with normal Japanese levels in non-disaster settings (4.7%), the prevalence of general psychological distress by Kessler 6-item Scale ≥ 13 was still high 3 years after the event in both men (11.4%) and women (15.8%). Although the age-adjusted prevalence of psychological distress and post-traumatic stress (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist ≥ 44) had decreased over time (from 19.0% [T1] to 17.8% [T3] for men, and from 25.3% [T1] to 23.3% [T3] for women), the age-adjusted prevalence of problem drinking (CAGE ≥ 2) remained steady in both men (20.7% [T2] and 20.4% [T3]; P = 0.18) and women (10.5% [T2] and 10.5% [T3]; P = 0.91). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that long-term interventions focused on post-traumatic stress as well as other mental health problems are strongly needed for disaster-affected individuals.
AIM: Prolonged periods of instability in terms of living environment can lead to a serious increase in mental health issues among disaster-affected individuals. The aim of this study was to assess long-term trends in mental health among adult residents in a nuclear-disaster-affected area. METHODS: Mail-based, self-administered questionnaire surveys were conducted three times (T1-T3), targeting all residents registered with the municipalities in the evacuation zone in Fukushima prefecture at the time of the disaster. Age-adjusted prevalences of the following were analyzed by sex: risk of psychological distress by the Kessler 6-item Scale, post-traumatic stress by the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist, and problem drinking by CAGE. RESULTS: The numbers of respondents and response rates were: 73 568, 40.7% (T1); 55 076, 29.9% (T2); and 46 386, 25.0% (T3). Compared with normal Japanese levels in non-disaster settings (4.7%), the prevalence of general psychological distress by Kessler 6-item Scale ≥ 13 was still high 3 years after the event in both men (11.4%) and women (15.8%). Although the age-adjusted prevalence of psychological distress and post-traumatic stress (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist ≥ 44) had decreased over time (from 19.0% [T1] to 17.8% [T3] for men, and from 25.3% [T1] to 23.3% [T3] for women), the age-adjusted prevalence of problem drinking (CAGE ≥ 2) remained steady in both men (20.7% [T2] and 20.4% [T3]; P = 0.18) and women (10.5% [T2] and 10.5% [T3]; P = 0.91). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that long-term interventions focused on post-traumatic stress as well as other mental health problems are strongly needed for disaster-affected individuals.