The psychological impact of a dual-disaster caused by earthquakes and radioactive contamination in Ichinoseki after the Great East Japan Earthquake

BMC Research Notes

Eiji Shimizu³  Michiko Nakazato⁵  Norito Kawakami⁴  Akihiko Saito¹  Akiko Kono²  Saho Uemura¹  Kota Takaoka⁵  Tomihisa Niitsu⁵ 

[1] Department of Health and Welfare, Ichinoseki City Government, Ichinoseki, Iwate, Japan;Ofunato Community Mental Health Care Center, Ofunato, Iwate, Japan;Department of Cognitive Behavioral Physiology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan;Department of Mental Health, Tokyo University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan;Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan

关键词: Disaster psychiatry;    Fukushima Daiichi atomic power plant;    Nuclear accident;    Natural disaster;    Dual-disaster;    K6;    PTSD;    Psychological distress;   

Others  :  1132725
DOI  :  10.1186/1756-0500-7-307

 received in 2013-10-12, accepted in 2014-05-16,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

The psychological impact of dual-disasters (earthquakes and a nuclear accident), on affected communities is unknown. This study investigated the impact of a dual-disaster (earthquakes and radioactive contamination) on the prevalence of psychological distress in a landlocked city within the Tohoku area, Japan.

Methods

A cross-sectional mail-in survey with a random sample of inhabitants from Ichinoseki city was conducted eleven months after the disasters, and data from 902 respondents were analyzed by logistic regression models, with multiple imputation methodology. The K6 was used to determine psychological distress.

Results

The estimated prevalence of psychological distress was 48.0 percent. House damage due to earthquakes and anxiety about radioactive contamination were significantly associated with psychological distress (p < 0.05), while an interactive effect between house damage and anxiety about radioactive contamination was not significant. Being female, middle-to-low educational status and unemployed were additional risk factors for psychological distress.

Conclusions

This dual-disaster was associated with a moderate prevalence of psychological distress in the area. The impact of the earthquake and radioactive contamination appeared additive.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Niitsu et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

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