The disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant after the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, might have affected the mental health status of children. To assess the mental health status, we measured the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in 15 274 children (aged 4-15 years). The proportions of those who scored above the cutoff (≥16) of SDQ, reflecting the clinical range of the mental health status, were 25.0% (aged 4-6 years), 22.0% (aged 7-12 years, and 16.3% (aged 13-15 years), which were higher than that in the usual state (9.5%). We also explored the possibility that the distribution on the Fukushima prefectural map of the proportions of those who scored above the cutoff (≥16) of SDQ might correspond with the environmental radiation levels, but there was no significant correlation.
BrometEJHavenaarJMGueyLT.A 25-year retrospective review of the psychological consequences of the Chernobyl accident. Clin Oncol (R Coll Oncol). 2011;23:297-305.
2.
YasumuraSHosoyaMYamashitaS. Study protocol for the Fukushima Health Management Survey. J Epidemiol. 2012;22:375-383.
3.
YabeHSuzukiYMashikoH. Mental health issues identified by the Fukushima Health Management Survey after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. Fukushima J Med Sci. 2014;60(1):57-67.
4.
BrometEJ.Mental health consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. J Radiol Prot. 2012;32(1):N71-N75.
5.
HavenaarJMBrometEJGluzmanS.The 30-year mental health legacy of the Chernobyl disaster. World Psychiatry. 2016;15:181-182.
6.
MatsuishiTNaganoMArakiY. Scale properties of the Japanese version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ): a study of infant and school children in community samples. Brain Dev. 2008;30:410-415.
7.
MonahanC.Children and Trauma: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Children Heal. 1st ed. New York, NY: Maxwell Macmillan International; 1993.
8.
AbboCKinyandaEKizzaRBLevinJNdyanabangiSSteinDJ.Prevalence, comorbidity and predictors of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents in rural north-eastern Uganda. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2013;7:21. doi:10.1186/1753-2000-7-21.
9.
DiehleJde RoosCBoerFLindauerRJ.A cross-cultural validation of the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for Children and Adolescents in a Dutch population. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2013;4. doi:10.3402/ejpt.v4i0.19896.
10.
JonkmanCSVerlindenEBolleEABoerFLindauerRJ.Traumatic stress symptomatology after child maltreatment and single traumatic events: different profiles. J Trauma Stress. 2013;26:225-232.
11.
StellmanSDThomasPAOsahanSBrackbillRMFarfelMR.Respiratory health of 985 children exposed to the World Trade Center disaster: report on World Trade Center Health Registry Wave 2 Follow-up, 2007-2008. J Asthma. 2013;50:354-363.
12.
SchildSDalenbergCJ.Psychoform and somatoform dissociation and PTSD in deaf adults. J Trauma Dissociation. 2012;13:361-376.
13.
VaageABThomsenPHRousseauCWentzel-LarsenTTaTVHauffE.Paternal predictors of the mental health of children of Vietnamese refugees. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2011;5:2. doi:10.1186/1753-2000-5-2.
14.
McDermottBMCobhamVEBerryHStallmanHM.Vulnerability factors for disaster-induced child post-traumatic stress disorder: the case for low family resilience and previous mental illness. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2010;44:384-389.
15.
GarraldaMEGledhillJNadelSNeashamDO’ConnorMShearsD.Longer-term psychiatric adjustment of children and parents after meningococcal disease. Pediatr Crit Care Med. 2009;10:675-680.
16.
DaudARydeliusPA.Comorbidity/overlapping between ADHD and PTSD in relation to IQ among children of traumatized/non-traumatized parents. J Atten Disord. 2009;13:188-196.
17.
GustafssonPENilssonDSvedinCG.Polytraumatization and psychological symptoms in children and adolescents. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2009;18:274-283.
18.
MilburnNLLynchMJacksonJ.Early identification of mental health needs for children in care: a therapeutic assessment programme for statutory clients of child protection. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2008;13:31-47.
19.
DaudAaf KlintebergBRydeliusPA.Resilience and vulnerability among refugee children of traumatized and non-traumatized parents. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2008;2:7. doi:10.1186/1753-2000-2-7.
20.
OkelloJOnenTSMusisiS.Psychiatric disorders among war-abducted and non-abducted adolescents in Gulu district, Uganda: a comparative study. Afr J Psychiatry (Johannesbg). 2007;10:225-231.
21.
DerluynIBroekaertE.Different perspectives on emotional and behavioural problems in unaccompanied refugee children and adolescents. Ethn Health. 2007;12:141-162.
22.
ZwirsBWBurgerHSchulpenTWWiznitzerMFedderHBuitelaarJK.Prevalence of psychiatric disorders among children of different ethnic origin. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2007;35:556-566.
23.
McDermottBMLeeEMJuddMGibbonP.Posttraumatic stress disorder and general psychopathology in children and adolescents following a wildfire disaster. Can J Psychiatry. 2005;50(3):137-143.
24.
McLaughlinKAFairbankJAGruberMJ. Trends in serious emotional disturbance among youths exposed to Hurricane Katrina. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2010;49:990-1000.
25.
HeiervangKSMednickSSundetKRundBR.The psychological well-being of Norwegian adolescents exposed in utero to radiation from the Chernobyl accident. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2011;5:12. doi:10.1186/1753-2000-5-12.
