Mental Health Impact of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: Construction of Psycho-Socio-Economic Care Model for Suicide Prevention

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25460915
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General internal medicine(including psychosomatic medicine)
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: Tsujiuchi Takuya 早稲田大学, 人間科学学術院, 教授 (00367088)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): MASUDA Kazudaka 鹿児島国際大学, 福祉社会学部, 専任講師 (40596962)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: ストレス / PTSD / 原発事故避難者 / 社会的ケアモデル / 自殺予防 / 国際情報交換

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The author performed the multi-method studies for the evacuees by Fukushima nuclear disaster; anthropological field work study, semi-structural interview study, and large-scale questionnaire survey. By the five large-scale questionnaire survey jointed with private support group “Shinsai-Shien-Network Saitama (SSN)” and “Nihon-Housou-Kyokai (NHK)”, we determined a high-risk presence of probable Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in evacuated residents. By the multiple logistic regression analysis, the serious consequences of the nuclear disaster, especially many of the socio-economic factors, were linked to psychological distress and suffering. It can be determined that “structural violence” has had a major impact afflicting victims’ lives. The mental health problems are not individual or personal in origin, but rather, they should be understood as a context of social responsibility to the disaster. Psycho-socio-economic care is important to prevent suicide of evacuees.

Free Research Field

心身医学・医療人類学