Centre for Health Effects of Radiological and Chemical Agents, Institute of Health, Medicine and Environments, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK.
Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Nov 20;18(22):12188. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182212188.
Potential psychological issues faced by British nuclear test veterans have been under-researched. This study assessed the prevalence of clinically relevant anxiety in British nuclear test veterans and aimed to explore experiences of worry and the broader psychological impact of the British nuclear weapons testing programme. The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (Short-Form) was completed by 89 British nuclear test veterans (33.7% met the criteria for clinically relevant anxiety). Nineteen veterans then participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis of the data generated three themes. The first theme highlighted how worry was relevant only in a few cases (four) generally regarding their grandchildren's health, but the guilt in those who perceive responsibility for family health conditions also appeared to be a pertinent issue. The second theme highlighted the anger towards authorities resulting from perceived negligence and deception. The third theme highlighted the relevance of how certain life events across the life course influence the potential psychological impact. This study suggests that guilt must be considered in (potentially) exposed individuals whose family members experience health conditions, which may exacerbate distress. It also suggests the importance that authorities ensure transparency when dealing with any radiological exposure scenario to reduce the potential for anger.
英国核试验老兵所面临的潜在心理问题研究不足。本研究评估了英国核试验老兵中临床相关焦虑的患病率，并旨在探讨担忧的经历以及英国核武器试验计划对更广泛的心理影响。89 名英国核试验老兵完成了老年焦虑量表（短式），其中 33.7%符合临床相关焦虑的标准。随后，19 名退伍军人参加了半结构化访谈。对数据进行的主题分析生成了三个主题。第一个主题强调了担忧在少数情况下（四例）与他们孙子孙女的健康有关，但那些认为自己对家庭健康状况负有责任的人也感到内疚，这似乎也是一个相关问题。第二个主题强调了由于被认为是疏忽和欺骗而对当局的愤怒。第三个主题强调了在整个生命周期中的某些生活事件对潜在心理影响的相关性。本研究表明，对于那些家庭成员经历健康状况的（潜在）暴露个体，必须考虑内疚感，这可能会加剧痛苦。它还表明，当局在处理任何放射性暴露情况时确保透明度的重要性，以减少愤怒的可能性。
