Radiation Accidents and Health Concerns
In the event of a radiation accident, people would be worried about the possibility of their exposure to radiation and about the extent of exposure and possible health effects if exposure occurred. Parents in particular would be concerned about the immediate and long-term health effects on their children.
People's mental health would deteriorate as a result of protracted anxiety over possible future health effects. It has also been pointed out that the anxiety of mothers might affect the mental state and growth of their children (p.106 of Vol. 1, “Effects on Children - Chornobyl NPS Accident -”).
The anxiety could be heightened by being unable to acquire reliable and accurate information about radiation. It has also been reported that unreasonable public stigmas and discriminations (stereotypes) about people affected by contamination or exposure could exacerbate their mental health problems.1,2
- Fukushima Psychological Care Manual, Fukushima Mental Health and Welfare Centre
- Werner Burkart(Vienna) “Message to our friends affected by the nuclear component of the earthquake/tsunami event of March 2011 (August 26, 2013)”(Werner Burkart ：Professor for Radiation Biology at the Faculty of Medicine of the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, Former Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA))
(http://japan.kantei.go.jp/incident/health_and_safety/burkart.html)
- Included in this reference material on March 31, 2013
- Updated on March 31, 2017