Department of Sociology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, USA.
Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2011 Nov;57(6):637-45. doi: 10.1177/0020764011415204. Epub 2011 Aug 3.
The Chornobyl nuclear power plant explosion in April 1986 was one of the worst ecological disasters of the 20th century. As with most disasters, its long-term mental health consequences have not been examined.
This study describes the psychological well-being and risk perceptions of exposed women 19-20 years later and the risk factors associated with mental health.
We assessed Chornobyl-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive episode (MDE) and overall distress among three groups of women in Kyiv, Ukraine (N = 797): mothers of small children evacuated to Kyiv in 1986 from the contaminated area near the plant (evacuees); mothers of their children's classmates (neighbourhood controls); and population-based controls from Kyiv. Risk perceptions and epidemiologic correlates were also obtained.
Evacuees reported poorer well-being and more negative risk perceptions than controls. Group differences in psychological well-being remained after adjustment for epidemiologic risk factors but became non-significant when Chornobyl risk perceptions were added to the models.
The relatively poorer psychological well-being among evacuees is largely explained by their continued concerns about the physical health risks stemming from the accident. We suggest that this is due to the long-term, non-resolvable nature of health fears associated with exposure.
1986 年 4 月的切尔诺贝利核电站爆炸是 20 世纪最严重的生态灾难之一。与大多数灾难一样，其长期的心理健康后果尚未得到检验。
本研究描述了暴露于切尔诺贝利核事故的女性在 19 至 20 年后的心理健康状况和风险认知，以及与心理健康相关的风险因素。
我们评估了乌克兰基辅的三组女性（N=797）的与切尔诺贝利相关的创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）、重度抑郁发作（MDE）和总体困扰：1986 年从受污染地区撤离到基辅的年幼子女的母亲（撤离者）；子女同学的母亲（邻里对照组）；以及来自基辅的基于人群的对照组。还获得了风险认知和流行病学相关性。
与对照组相比，撤离者报告的幸福感较差，风险认知更负面。在调整了流行病学风险因素后，三组之间的心理健康差异仍然存在，但当将切尔诺贝利风险认知纳入模型时，这种差异变得不显著。
撤离者相对较差的心理健康状况在很大程度上可以归因于他们对事故造成的身体健康风险的持续担忧。我们认为，这是由于与接触相关的长期、无法解决的健康恐惧所致。
