The impact of three major nuclear accidents on the mental health of emergency responders : a systematic review
10.3760/cma.j.cn112271-20230414-00120
- VernacularTitle:三大核事故应急人员心理健康后果的系统综述
- Author:
Lingxuan MA
1
;
Huifang CHEN
;
Ximing FU
;
Long YUAN
;
Cuiping LEI
Author Information
1. 中国疾病预防控制中心辐射防护与核安全医学所 辐射防护与核应急中国疾病预防控制中心重点实验室，北京 100088
- Keywords:
Nuclear accidents;
Mental health;
Emergency responders;
Systematic review
- From:
Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection
2023;43(10):797-804
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To systematically evaluate the impact of the three major nuclear accidents at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima on the mental health status of emergency responders.Methods:MeSH and Entry Terms were searched. Relevant literature on the mental health consequences of the emergency responders to the Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima nuclear accidents were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, and APA PsycINFO databases, and screened and reviewed.Results:Totally 37 studies were included. General psychological distress, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other abnormal psychological problems are prevalent among emergency responders following nuclear accidents. The psychological impact of the Chernobyl nuclear accident was most profound, causing serious mental disorders such as organic mental disorder and personality disorder among the clean-up workers. The mental health condition of emergency responders was associated with disaster-related emergency response tasks and the social factors brought in nuclear accidents.Conclusions:General psychological distress, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress reaction/disorder, severe mental disorder and other long-term abnormal psychological problems are common among first responders after nuclear accidents, and baseline mental health and psychological interventions require further study.
