Associations Between External Radiation Doses and the Risk of Psychological Distress or Post-traumatic Stress After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident: the Fukushima Health Management Survey

Abstract

Background: The relationship between radiation levels and mental health status after a nuclear disaster is unknown. We examined the association between individual external radiation doses and psychological distress or post-traumatic stress after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in March 2011 in Japan.

Methods: The Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey was conducted from January 2012. Based on the estimated external radiation doses for the first 4 months, a total of 64,184 subjects were classified into <1 mSv, 1 to <2 mSv, and ≥2 mSv groups. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of psychological distress and post-traumatic stress, with the <1 mSv group as the reference, were calculated using logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, evacuation, perception of radiation risk, and subjective health status.

Results: The prevalence of psychological distress/post-traumatic stress in the <1 mSv, 1 to <2 mSv, and ≥2 mSv groups was 15.1%/22.1%, 14.0%/20.1%, and 15.0%/21.7%, respectively. In women, although the ≥2 mSv group tended to have a higher risk of psychological distress with the age-adjusted OR of 1.13 (95% CI, 0.99–1.30), the adjusted OR decreased to 1.00 (95% CI, 0.86–1.16) after controlling for all variables. On the other hand, there were no dose-dependent associations between radiation dose and post-traumatic stress.

Conclusion: Although external radiation doses were not associated with psychological distress, evacuation and perception of radiation risk may increase the risk of psychological distress in women in the higher dose group.