OverviewA 25 Year Retrospective Review of the Psychological Consequences of the Chernobyl Accident
Section snippets
Statement of Search Strategies Used and Sources of Information
This report builds on our previous review of the psychological effects of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster covering the first 20 years after the accident [1]. We searched both PubMed and Google Scholar for articles published in English peer-reviewed journals since 1986, but with a particular emphasis on research published from 2005 to 2010. The key words used were Chernobyl, ionising radiation, neuropsychology, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, cognitive,
Clean-up Workers
An estimated 600 000 clean-up workers, or liquidators, both civilian and military personnel, were recruited from throughout the Soviet Union. As noted in our previous review [1], there have been two lines of psychological research on clean-up workers, one focused on potential radiation-related cognitive impairment and the other examining the psychiatric effects of exposure-related stress. The studies described below are summarised in Table 1.
Four studies conducted in Kiev provide suggestive
Cognitive Impairment and Emotional Wellbeing of Exposed Children
In light of the increased rate of severe mental retardation among in utero A-bomb survivors [18], substantial concern arose about the developing brain of exposed children who were in utero or infants when the Chernobyl accident occurred, even though the highest exposure was well below the lowest level linked to mental retardation in A-bomb survivors [1]. The first systematic study of neurocognitive functioning was the International Pilot Study of Brain Damage In-Utero, designed by the World
Population-based Morbidity Studies
A handful of surveys have been conducted on the mental health of adult populations in the affected regions (Table 3). The earliest investigation was conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 1990 in contaminated and uncontaminated (by radiation) villages in Belarus, Ukraine and Russia (summarised in Ref. [7]). This study included items about psychological distress and disturbances and found higher rates of psychological distress and concerns about health in exposed villagers
Discussion
Chernobyl was a massive catastrophe that impacted millions of people in the former Soviet Union and beyond. The ongoing public debate and uncertainty about the medical repercussions of the accident in the media and in official and unofficial reports have meant that the event is very much current for the affected populations [48]. There is no doubt that Chernobyl had an effect on the mental health of adults directly affected by the event, especially the liquidators and women with young children,
Acknowledgements
The research undertaken by the authors in Refs. [23], [24], [25], [26], [27] was supported by National Institute of Mental Health grant 51947.
References (52)
- et al.
The accelerated occurrence of age-related changes of organism in Chernobyl workers: a radiation-induced progeroid syndrome?
Exp Gerontol
(2000) - et al.
Longitudinal neurocognitive assessments of Ukrainians exposed to ionizing radiation after the Chernobyl nuclear accident
Arch Clin Neuropsychol
(2005) - et al.
Smoking initiation and nicotine dependence symptoms in Ukraine: findings from the Ukraine World Mental Health survey
Public Health
(2007) - et al.
Suicide risk among Chernobyl cleanup workers in Estonia still increased: an updated cohort study
Ann Epidemiol
(2006) - et al.
The intellectual development, mental and behavioural disorders in children from Belarus exposed in utero following the Chernobyl accident
Eur Psychiatry
(2000) - et al.
Psychophysiologic after effects of prenatal irradiation
Int J Psychophysiol
(1998) Immigrants from Chernobyl-affected areas in Israel: the link between health and social adjustment
Soc Sci Med
(2002)Debate over health effects of Chernobyl re-ignited
Lancet
(2010)- et al.
Psychological and perceived health effects of the Chernobyl disaster: a 20-year review
Health Phys
(2007) - et al.
60,000 disaster victims speak: part I. Summary and implications of the disaster mental health research
Psychiatry
(2002)
Post-traumatic stress disorder following disasters: a systematic review
Psychol Med
The behavioral consequences of terrorism: a meta-analysis
Acad Emerg Med
Disasters: psychological and psychiatric aspects
The psychological consequences of the Chernobyl accident – findings from the International Atomic Energy Agency study
Public Health Rep
Schizophrenia spectrum disorders in persons exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of the Chernobyl accident
Schizophr Bull
EEG patterns in persons exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of the Chernobyl accident. Part 2: quantitative EEG analysis in patients who had acute radiation sickness
J Neuropsychiatr Clin Neurosci
Epidemiology of psychiatric and alcohol disorders in Ukraine: findings from the Ukraine World Mental Health Survey
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol
The Estonian study of Chernobyl clean-up workers: II. Incidence of cancer and mortality
Radiat Res
Risk factors for long-term mental and psychosomatic distress in Latvian Chernobyl liquidators
Environ Health Perspect
The mental health of clean-up workers 18 years after the Chornobyl accident
Psychol Med
Cognitive function and prenatal exposure to ionizing radiation
Teratology
Health consequences of the Chernobyl accident. Results of the IPHECA pilot projects and related national programmes
The psychological development of children from Belarus exposed in the prenatal period to radiation from the Chernobyl atomic power plant
J Child Psychol Psychiatry
School and neuropsychological performance of evacuated children in Kiev eleven years after the Chernobyl disaster
J Child Psychol Psychiatry
Children’s well-being 11 years after the Chornobyl catastrophe
Arch Gen Psychiatry
Cited by (198)
Against an insufficient intervention for patients with alcoholism or PTSD: An activity report on a psychiatric clinic after the 2011 complex disaster in Fukushima, Japan
2023, International Journal of Disaster Risk ReductionLong-run exposure to low-dose radiation reduces cognitive performance
2023, Journal of Environmental Economics and ManagementExploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social isolation and mental health in people with MS
2022, Multiple Sclerosis and Related DisordersNuclear energy myths versus facts support it's expanded use - a review
2022, Cleaner Energy SystemsFactors related to the presence of suicidal ideations in adolescents after a technological disaster
2022, International Journal of Disaster Risk ReductionPsychosocial support for anxiety related to thyroid cancer: A team approach during the secondary confirmatory examination in thyroid ultrasound examination
2022, Health Effects of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster