Page 103 - 2014 Printable Abstract Book
P. 103
(S3005) Mental Health and Psychosocial Support after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Yutaka Kato,
1
1;2
MD, PhD, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
and Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik, Universitätsklinik Aachen, Aachen,
2
Germany
Since March 11 2011, citizens of Fukushima prefecture have suffered great adversity four times.
Initially, the Great East Japan Earthquake and the following Tsunami had great impact as “natural
disasters”. Afterwards, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster forced local residents into evacuations,
later combined with harmful rumors and misinformation, giving rise to continual distress as well as great
overall financial loss. The nuclear power plant accident and succeeding malicious rumors might have been
avoided, at least in part, and thus contributed an added element of “man-made disaster.” As a matter of
fact, the majority of public anxiety and related stress of the refugees originated from these ill-informed
confusions without effective countermeasures, which unfortunately misled the public to a “man-made”
suspicious mind. Keio University School of Medicine Department of Neuropsychiatry provided
psychosocial support to those living in Soma City, which is 40 km from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power
plant. Three parties were dispatched from our university at the request of Tokyo Metropolitan
Government, as the first official and organized psychiatry teams. Prior to the Earthquake, Soma city was
known for the “Soma incident”, which occurred at the end of the 19th century, and is still considered to
be the origin of psychiatric stigma in Japan. This presentation will begin with this specific background and
proceed to the actual support activities with comparison to the desired model for psychosocial
interventions on site. Especially from the radiation research aspect, almost all psychosocial issues derived
from the absence of trustworthy information about the environmental contamination. Many refugees
were confounded by the gaps between information announced by the government and rumors, resulting
in misinformed “man-made” anxieties, sometimes easily relieved even by showing them a dosimeter. In
addition, future directions for psychosocial support will be addressed including the importance of the
accumulating knowledge regarding radiation effects.
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1
1;2
MD, PhD, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
and Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik, Universitätsklinik Aachen, Aachen,
2
Germany
Since March 11 2011, citizens of Fukushima prefecture have suffered great adversity four times.
Initially, the Great East Japan Earthquake and the following Tsunami had great impact as “natural
disasters”. Afterwards, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster forced local residents into evacuations,
later combined with harmful rumors and misinformation, giving rise to continual distress as well as great
overall financial loss. The nuclear power plant accident and succeeding malicious rumors might have been
avoided, at least in part, and thus contributed an added element of “man-made disaster.” As a matter of
fact, the majority of public anxiety and related stress of the refugees originated from these ill-informed
confusions without effective countermeasures, which unfortunately misled the public to a “man-made”
suspicious mind. Keio University School of Medicine Department of Neuropsychiatry provided
psychosocial support to those living in Soma City, which is 40 km from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power
plant. Three parties were dispatched from our university at the request of Tokyo Metropolitan
Government, as the first official and organized psychiatry teams. Prior to the Earthquake, Soma city was
known for the “Soma incident”, which occurred at the end of the 19th century, and is still considered to
be the origin of psychiatric stigma in Japan. This presentation will begin with this specific background and
proceed to the actual support activities with comparison to the desired model for psychosocial
interventions on site. Especially from the radiation research aspect, almost all psychosocial issues derived
from the absence of trustworthy information about the environmental contamination. Many refugees
were confounded by the gaps between information announced by the government and rumors, resulting
in misinformed “man-made” anxieties, sometimes easily relieved even by showing them a dosimeter. In
addition, future directions for psychosocial support will be addressed including the importance of the
accumulating knowledge regarding radiation effects.
101 | P a g e
