The mental health of adolescents of the radiation accident at Tokaimura

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Objective : On September 30,1999, at 10-30 a.m., a serious radiation accident occured in Tokaimura in Japan. We conducted a survey to assess the mental health of the students residing in the Tokaimura area. Methods : The participants were students from School A (n=713) and from School B(n=78). School A was located within the 10 kilometer vicinity from the center of the accident; School B was located beyond 100 kilometers from the accident. We conducted our first survey on October 15, which was 15 days after the Accident and our second survey on December 22, three months after the accident.The questionnaire consisted of STAI(State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), GHQ-l2(General Health Questionnaire), and IES-R(Empact of Event Scale-revised) along with the iace sheet that covered the basic charateristic data. Results : No significant differences were shown in many of the variables between the two school students. However, as to STAI and the students' perception of the accidents, analysis showed that School A students' mental damage were more serious than that of School B students'. Conclusions : The cognition of the endangerment of each student, and not the distance from the accident, had the most influence in their stress vulnerability and their mental health status.