Longitudinal effects of disaster-related experiences on concern and its impact on depressive symptoms among Fukushima nuclear power plant workers: The Fukushima NEWS project study

IF 3.7 2区医学 Q1 PSYCHIATRY

Journal of psychiatric research Pub Date : 2025-02-21 DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.022

Tomokazu Tajima , Ai Ikeda , Jun Shigemura , Takeshi Tanigawa

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

The 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster affected the mental health of nuclear plant workers.

Objective

The study aimed to explore the longitudinal relationship between workers’ disaster-related experiences and concern, and the impact of concern on depressive symptoms over three years.

Method

A total of 1347 workers from Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear power plants participated. Three types of concern (work, life, or health-related) and depressive symptoms were assessed from 2012 to 2014 using self-reporting concern questionnaires and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The relationships between disaster-related experiences and concern and depressive symptoms (CES-D score ≥16) were analyzed using mixed-effects models, as were the associations between type of concern and depressive symptoms. Stratified analyses for all associations were performed according to work location in 2011.

Results

Each type of concern was associated with different disaster-related experiences. Depressive symptoms were associated with job-related concern (β = 0.015, p < 0.011), life-related concern (β = 0.018, p = 0.002), and health-related concern (β = 0.018, p < 0.001), and these associations remained over two years. The associations were more evident in Daiichi plant workers, while Daini plant workers only exhibited significant associations with health-related concern.

Conclusions

Different disaster-related experiences affected plant workers' concern. The risk of depressive symptoms was significant among workers with any of the three types of concern, particularly for Daiichi plant workers. It is important to understand plant workers’ concern and their experiences during the disaster to guide them towards mental health support and clinical interventions.

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来源期刊

Journal of psychiatric research 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

7.30

自引率

2.10%

发文量

622

审稿时长

130 days

期刊介绍： Founded in 1961 to report on the latest work in psychiatry and cognate disciplines, the Journal of Psychiatric Research is dedicated to innovative and timely studies of four important areas of research: (1) clinical studies of all disciplines relating to psychiatric illness, as well as normal human behaviour, including biochemical, physiological, genetic, environmental, social, psychological and epidemiological factors; (2) basic studies pertaining to psychiatry in such fields as neuropsychopharmacology, neuroendocrinology, electrophysiology, genetics, experimental psychology and epidemiology; (3) the growing application of clinical laboratory techniques in psychiatry, including imagery and spectroscopy of the brain, molecular biology and computer sciences;