Is ionizing radiation a risk factor for anxiety in employees?

OBJECTIVE

Workers describe many physical and mental symptoms when working in radiation areas. This study aimed to assess these symptoms in radiation workers using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI).

METHODS

A total of 42 radiation workers (22 males and 20 females, mean age 34±7 years) and 47 control subjects (22 males and 27 females, mean age 31± 8 years) who work in non-radiation areas in the hospital were included in the study. All participants anonymously filled out the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) questionnaire.

RESULTS

The demographic data of workers were not significantly different between groups. In the BAI, the dizzy or lightheaded (p =0.01), terrified (p= 0.01), unsteady (p=0.02), heart-pounding and racing (p=0.02) items were significantly higher in the radiation-exposed group compared to the control group. |The BAI score was also significantly higher in the radiation-exposed group (11.1±6.8 vs. 8.7±3.8, p =0.04).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest the possibility that radiation may play a role in the psychometric properties of workers. The effects of radiation on the health of employees need to be further investigated and understood.