Psychological well-being and risk perceptions of mothers in Kyiv, Ukraine, 19 years after the Chornobyl disaster

• Published in: International journal of social psychiatry Vol. 57; no. 6; pp. 637 - 645
• Main Authors: Adams, Richard E., Guey, Lin T., Gluzman, Semyon F., Bromet, Evelyn J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.11.2011; Sage; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Biological and medical sciences; Chernobyl Nuclear Accident; Children; Depression; Depression - epidemiology; Disasters; Epidemiology; Female; Females; Health; Humans; Interviews as Topic; Medical sciences; Mental Health; Middle Aged; Mood disorders; Mothers; Mothers - psychology; Nuclear accidents; Personal Satisfaction; Post traumatic stress disorder; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Psychological wellbeing; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Refugees - psychology; Risk; Risk Assessment; Risk factors; Risk perception; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology; Trauma; Ukraine; Ukraine - epidemiology; Well Being; Eastern Europe; Europe; Ukraine; trauma; distress; epidemiology; post-traumatic stress disorder; mothers with young children; depression; Chornobyl; disaster; Human; Mood disorder; Anxiety disorder; Depression; Disaster; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Risk perception; Epidemiology; Trauma; Stress; Mother; Risk factor; Psychological well-being; Child; Public health
• ISSN: 0020-7640; 1741-2854
• DOI: 10.1177/0020764011415204

Background: The Chornobyl nuclear power plant explosion in April 1986 was one of the worst ecological disasters of the 20th century. As with most disasters, its long-term mental health consequences have not been examined. Aims: This study describes the psychological well-being and risk perceptions of exposed women 19–20 years later and the risk factors associated with mental health. Methods: We assessed Chornobyl-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive episode (MDE) and overall distress among three groups of women in Kyiv, Ukraine (N = 797): mothers of small children evacuated to Kyiv in 1986 from the contaminated area near the plant (evacuees); mothers of their children’s classmates (neighbourhood controls); and population-based controls from Kyiv. Risk perceptions and epidemiologic correlates were also obtained. Results: Evacuees reported poorer well-being and more negative risk perceptions than controls. Group differences in psychological well-being remained after adjustment for epidemiologic risk factors but became non-significant when Chornobyl risk perceptions were added to the models. Conclusions: The relatively poorer psychological well-being among evacuees is largely explained by their continued concerns about the physical health risks stemming from the accident. We suggest that this is due to the long-term, non-resolvable nature of health fears associated with exposure.