This study aimed to establish a training system for non-mental health professionals to cope with the mental health and social issues of impacted residents in disaster recovery public housing after ...more than 10 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE). In September 2021, a group interview was conducted with seven life support advisors (LSAs) in charge of providing continuous support for impacted residents. These advisors possess a good understanding of the situation of impacted residents in disaster recovery public housing. Isolation emerged as an apparent issue, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak in which interactions among residents were reduced. Then, a training program for coping with isolation, as well as other issues identified through the interviews, such as delusions, troublesome behaviors, alcohol-related issues, wandering, suicidal ideation, and social withdrawal, was developed. For infection prevention and ease of obtaining training opportunities, this program was distributed online. Eleven participants were trained to use the developed program and were subsequently asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire. Results showed a considerable increase in the participants’ comprehension in addressing the impacted residents’ mental health issues. Although further investigation is warranted given that the representativeness and validity of our findings are somewhat limited, this study revealed the current situation of impacted residents in disaster recovery public housing following the GEJE. It also established a mental health training system for non-mental health professionals that addresses the identified issues. The developed training system for advisors would contribute to preparedness and risk reduction for future disasters.
Objectives
Well‐managed workplace communication may promote well‐mental health status among workers, even those who may have experienced drastic changes in their workplace and living environment ...after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. This study aimed to compare the workplace and living environment of workers in the evacuation area to the non‐evacuation area, as well as the association between workplace communication and psychological distress.
Method
This cross‐sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in two manufacturing companies in the evacuation area and a company in the non‐evacuation area. Psychological distress was defined by a Kessler K6 distress scale score ≥5. Workplace communication was measured by the status of communication (“Do you feel that you can talk freely?”) and consultation (“Can you consult when having troubles?”) with superiors, managers and colleagues. Work burden, overtime, and irregular mealtimes as changes in the workplace and domestic life were determined. Differences in the workplace and living environment were compared using the chi‐squared test, with the association between workplace communication and psychological distress analyzed by logistic regression.
Results
The proportion of workers with an increased work burden, overtime, and irregular meals was significantly higher among workers in the evacuation areas. There was also a significant association between low‐psychological distress status and communication and consultation with superiors or managers, with no significant association with colleagues.
Conclusion
Only workplace communication with superiors or managers was associated with low‐psychological distress, even after drastic changes in the workplace. Therefore, superiors or managers should initiate open communication and active consultation after a disaster.
Associations between nuclear disasters and suicide have been examined to a limited extent.
To clarify the suicide rates in evacuation areas after the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, which occurred in ...March 2011.
This descriptive study used monthly data from vital statistics between March 2009 and December 2015. Suicide rates in areas to which evacuation orders had been issued, requiring across-the-board, compulsory evacuation of residents from the entire or part of municipalities, were obtained and compared with the national average.
Male suicide rates in evacuation areas increased significantly immediately after the disaster, and then began to increase again 4 years after the disaster. Female suicide rates declined slightly during the first year and then increased significantly over the subsequent 3-year period. Moreover, male rates in areas where evacuation orders were issued for the total area declined over the course of approximately 2 years, but then began to increase thereafter. Analysis by age revealed postdisaster male rates in evacuation areas decreased for those aged 50-69 years and increased for those aged ≤ 29 years and ≥ 70 years.
The number of suicides among females and the female population in the evacuation area was small.
Our findings suggest the need to keep in mind that, when providing post-disaster mental health services, suicide rates can eventually increase even if they initially decrease.
This study analyzed the suicide mortality rate in 12 municipalities in Fukushima Prefecture designated as evacuation areas following the 2011 nuclear disaster. Changes in suicide rates were examined ...using an exponential smoothing time series model. In the evacuation areas, the suicide rate of men increased immediately after the disaster and then decreased from 47.8 to 23.1 per 100,000 during about 1½ years after the disaster. However, with the lifting of the evacuation order, it again exceeded that of non-evacuation areas and continued to do so for the next 3 years. On the other hand, the suicide rate in women in the evacuation areas increased later than that in men. These results indicate the need for continuous support following the lifting of the evacuation order. In addition, it is necessary to enhance social networks, which continue to confer protection, because of the isolation of the elderly as highlighted in our previous study.
Background: This practical report aims to publicize the ongoing disaster-related mental health interventions following the Great East Japan Earthquake during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: ...Disaster-related mental health interventions consisted of: (1) screening high-risk evacuees with high psychological distress (Kessler 6 score ≥ 13) or binge drinking; and (2) visiting selected high-risk individuals and providing them counseling through outreach in evacuee housing. These activity records were compiled from existing material in the Sendai City Office; therefore, no new interviews or questionnaire surveys were conducted. Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we introduced telephone counseling and shortened the time of support as a result of the restrictions. Counselors addressed issues of “loneliness” or “isolation” among evacuees, who had little connection with society due to the pandemic. Moreover, the procedure for obtaining COVID-19 special financial aid was explained to evacuees in financial difficulty. During this period, the suicide rates in the affected area did not increase significantly as compared to the national average. Conclusions: Our report may be instructive in terms of preventing suicide during the pandemic using high-risk approaches and counselors trained in disaster-related mental health interventions.
After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011, residents perceived a radiation exposure risk. To address the concerns about radiation exposure and the subsequent effects on ...their health, we developed the gatekeeper training program for radiation health anxiety and mental health issues. The program consisted of a presentation and roleplay, with educational objectives to the increase knowledge and understanding around radiation health anxiety, alcoholism, depression, and suicide. Twenty-six counselors participated in the program as a single-arm intervention. To measure the outcomes, the subjects reported self-confidence when they counselled with residents with radiation health anxiety and other mental health issues. Comparing the answers to pre- and 2-month follow-up surveys, the confidence levels were higher after 2 months than at baseline, especially for the question “How confident are you at supporting a resident with mental health issues?”, which showed the largest increase (p < 0.001). Regarding radiation health anxiety the questions “Can you communicate coping skills to a resident with radiation health anxiety?” (p = 0.007) and “Can you refer a resident with radiation health anxiety to professionals who can cope appropriately?” (p = 0.016) showed significant increases in their confidence levels. This program could be useful for on-going health activities and future nuclear disasters.
Following the March 2011 accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, many residents of Fukushima have faced anxieties about the health impacts of radiation exposure. Considering that source of ...information may influence resident anxiety, this study aimed to elucidate the correlation between the two. In addition, a health literacy query was included to examine a possible relationship between anxiety and health literacy skills. A mail survey was conducted in August 2016 among 2000 residents of Fukushima Prefecture aged 20 to 79 years. Survey items included questions about current health anxieties caused by radiation, trusted sources of information about radiation, and media used to obtain information on radiation. The survey valid response rate was 43.4%. Results of multiple linear regression analysis revealed that anxiety was significantly higher for the groups indicating "trust in citizen groups" and "use of internet sites." Anxiety was significantly lower for the groups indicating "trust in government ministries," "trust in local government," and "use of local broadcast television." Also anxiety was significantly lower for groups with higher health literacy. It was found that the significant relationship to anxiety varies depending on the sources of trust and media used. There is a possibility that this was caused by the difference between the contents of each information and media reports. In preparation for any future nuclear accident, government may consider action to improve the media literacy of residents. In addition, improving health literacy of both the recipient and the sender of information can improve access to information and thereby safeguard the health and well-being of the public.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract Understanding the physiological changes associated with aging and the associated disease risks is essential to establish biomarkers as indicators of biological aging. This study used the ...NMR-measured plasma metabolome to calculate age-specific metabolite indices. In doing so, the scope of the study was deliberately simplified to capture general trends and insights into age-related changes in metabolic patterns. In addition, changes in metabolite concentrations with age were examined in detail, with the period from 55–59 to 60–64 years being a period of significant metabolic change, particularly in men, and from 45–49 to 50–54 years in females. These results illustrate the different variations in metabolite concentrations by sex and provide new insights into the relationship between age and metabolic diseases.
Following the accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011, both experts and the national government provided insufficient information on radiation, leading to widespread distrust in ...the community. This study aimed at clarifying the association between anxiety about radiation and health literacy among residents in evacuation and non-evacuation areas in Fukushima. A questionnaire survey was sent to randomly sampled residents between August and October 2016, and data from 777 responses (38.9% valid response) were analyzed. The questionnaire assessed current radiation anxiety and discrimination and prejudice based on radiation exposure through seven items and communicative and critical health literacy through five items. Multiple regression analysis of the association between radiation anxiety and health literacy showed that the level of health literacy was significantly negatively associated with radiation anxiety in the evacuation areas (marginally in the non-evacuation areas) and marginally negatively associated with discrimination and prejudice in the evacuation areas but not in the non-evacuation areas. Therefore, improving health literacy could alleviate radiation anxiety.
This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the prevalence of newly-started drinkers and their continuing drinking behaviors after the Great East Japan earthquake. Moreover, the relationships ...between newly-started drinking and psychological factor, disaster-related experience, and perceived radiation risk were examined. We used data from 37,687 pre-disaster non-drinkers who participated in the 2012 and 2013 surveys conducted in Fukushima. We defined newly-started drinkers as those who did not drink before the disaster but who began drinking after the disaster, based on information collected retrospectively. In 2012, 9.6% of non-drinkers began drinking, of which the prevalence of heavy drinkers was 18.4%. The prevalence of continued drinking among newly-started drinkers in 2013 was 53.8%. Logistic regression analyses revealed post-disaster newly-started drinking was significantly associated with being male, less than 65 years old, sleep dissatisfaction and psychological distress (Kessler 6 ≤ 13) when this model was adjusted for disaster-related experience and perceived radiation risk. Moreover, psychological distress and heavy drinking were significant risk factors for continued drinking among newly-started drinkers. Newly-started drinkers might use alcohol to cope with disaster-related stress. Thus, they may be targeted for disaster-related health services. Moreover, early intervention should encourage responsible drinking, since post-disaster heavy drinkers were likely to continue heavy drinking.
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