The anchoring support and awfulness throughout the lives of A-bomb survivors who moved from Hiroshima and Nagasaki

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K03395
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 10030:Clinical psychology-related
• Research Institution: Sendai Shirayuri Women's College
• Principal Investigator: Nakajima Midori 仙台白百合女子大学, 人間学部, 准教授 (10412339)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 被爆者 / 心の支え / 伝承

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined the anchoring support and awfulness throughout the lives of A-bomb survivors who moved from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As with Hibakusha living in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, health anxiety always lurked in A-bomb survivor's mind like land mine, when they aren't feel well or suffered some serious illness, and they found employment, got married, or had children, the health anxiety feels stronger. As for discrimination and prejudice, living outside of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many people avoided coming out as Hibakusha until their children grew up or they retired, as there were few people who knew each other tacitly. On the other hand, as with survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, marriage, the birth and growth of children, hobbies, work, and connections with other A-bomb survivors provided anchoring support in their lives. It became clear that although Hibakusha see the transmission of their A-bomb experiences as their responsibility as survivors, it entails difficulties.

Free Research Field

臨床心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

被爆地以外に住む人は、同じ経験をもち暗黙裡な理解ができる仲間や被爆地の復興を見る機会が少なく、長年あまり研究対象とされにくかった。現在は、災害が増え、転居を求められる被災者もみられる現在において、未曽有の出来事が人生にわたり及ぼす心理的影響を知る点で、学問的意義があり、生存者の少ないこのコホートでしかないことも、社会的な意義を持つと言える。