Psychiatric Effects on Children

In some of the studies targeting children who were fetuses at the time of the Chernobyl accident, investigations on neuropsychological effects were also conducted.

Although the results of the studies are not necessarily coherent, a report that attests to emotional disorders of the children caused by the accident also points out other effects such as parents' anxiety as factors affecting their mental state, rather than merely pointing out radiation exposure as a direct effect.

The Radiation Medical Science Center in Fukushima conducts the Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey with the aim of handing down to the following generations accumulated knowledge on better mental care in an emergency or in the event of a natural disaster.

The survey uses the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)* as an index to evaluate children's mental health. The higher the percentage of those scoring high (16 or higher), the more support is needed. The survey conducted in FY2011 showed rather bad results (high scores) but considerable improvements are observed in the results of the one conducted in FY2014, which have come close to the results of the surveys conducted outside the affected regions (see p.141 of Vol. 2, "Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey: What Has Become Clear (4/4)" for details).

• Included in this reference material on March 31, 2013
• Updated on February 28, 2018