How worries about radiation exposure influence psychological health and development

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26285148
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Educational psychology
• Research Institution: Fukushima University
• Principal Investigator: TSUTSUI Yuji 福島大学, 共生システム理工学類, 教授 (70286243)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 氏家 達夫 名古屋大学, 教育発達科学研究科, 教授 (00168684) ; 内山 登紀夫 大正大学, 心理社会学部, 教授 (00316910) ; 楠見 孝 京都大学, 教育学研究科, 教授 (70195444) ; 高谷 理恵子 福島大学, 人間発達文化学類, 教授 (90322007) ; 根ケ山 光一 早稲田大学, 人間科学学術院, 教授 (00112003) ; 瀧野 揚三 大阪教育大学, 大学共同利用機関等の部局等, 教授 (60206919)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): TOMINAGA Misako 福島大学, 人間発達文化学類, 准教授 (20548458) ; TAKAHARA Madoka 福島大学, 共生システム理工学類, 准教授 (20454150)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 原発事故 / 心理的影響 / 放射線不安 / 放射線ストレス / 母子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to clarify the psychological effects of the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (1F) on mothers and children living in the area.
Mothers and children living in Fukushima Prefecture were continuously monitored for at least five years after 1F accident, and their worries about potential radioactive contamination due to the disaster and psychological stress were examined. Even 30 years after the Chernobyl disaster, mothers of young children at the time of the study still had intense psychological anxiety and stress in their fifties: given the similarity of the events, prolonged mental health effects are a major concern in Fukushima as well.The findings demonstrated the promise of a psychological program that incorporates concepts from positive psychology for improving the mental health and subjective well-being of mothers living in the area affected by the nuclear disaster.

Free Research Field

災害心理学