Those Who Have Continuing Radiation Anxiety Show High Psychological Distress in Cases of High Post-Traumatic Stress: The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

Masatsugu Orui, Chihiro Nakayama, Nobuaki Moriyama, Masaharu Tsubokura, Kiyotaka Watanabe, Takeo Nakayama, Minoru Sugita and Seiji Yasumura
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Masatsugu Orui: Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Chihiro Nakayama: Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Nobuaki Moriyama: Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Masaharu Tsubokura: Department of Radiation Health Management, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
Kiyotaka Watanabe: Department of Medicine, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo 173-8606, Japan
Takeo Nakayama: Department of Health Informatics, School of Public Health, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
Minoru Sugita: Toho University, Tokyo 143-8540, Japan
Seiji Yasumura: Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 22, 1-16

Abstract: Background: this cross-sectional study aimed to clarify the associations among media utilization, lifestyles, and the strong radiation anxiety that has persisted 9 years after the 2011 nuclear accident. Moreover, the relationships among psychological distress, post-traumatic stress, and strong radiation anxiety were examined. Methods: for the multivariate regression analysis, the independent variables were radiation anxiety at the time of the accident and the current status, categorized as “continuing/emerging strong radiation anxiety”. Media utilization (local, national, internet, and public broadcasts, and public relations information) and lifestyle variables (sleep quality, regular exercise, and drinking habits) were set as the dependent variables. Moreover, the psychological distress of residents with continuing/emerging strong radiation anxiety was examined by an analysis of covariance stratified by post-traumatic stress. Result: there was no significant association between lifestyle variables and media utilization, except for local media (OR: 0.435, 95% CI: 0.21–0.90). Conversely, significantly high psychological distress was confirmed among residents with continuing/emerging radiation anxiety. The K6 score, representing psychological distress, for those with higher post-traumatic stress was 12.63; for those with lower post-traumatic stress, it was 5.13 ( p = 0.004). Conclusions: residents with continuing/emerging strong radiation anxiety showed high psychological distress, which has been strengthened by higher post-traumatic stress.

Keywords: psychological distress; post-traumatic stress; anxiety; media; Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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