Five-year follow-up of the risk factors for psychological distress in youth after the Great East Japan Earthquake and nuclear disaster: The Fukushima Health Management Survey.

AIM: This study examined the longitudinal association between age and mental health status to identify the risk factors for severe psychological distress in youth who experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011.

METHODS

A two-wave longitudinal study was conducted using data from the Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey of Japan after the event for fiscal years (FY) 2011 and 2016. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted using age subcohorts from the baseline, FY2011, and psychological distress from FY2016. Ultimately, 23,682 participants aged 16-24, 25-64, and ≥ 65 years (n = 711, 13,756, and 9215, respectively, at the FY2011 baseline) were analyzed.

RESULTS

Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that, after adjustment for covariates, the 16-24 age range was significantly and positively associated with severe psychological distress in FY2016 compared with the ≥ 65 age range. Moreover, for the 16-24-year age group, baseline psychological distress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and bereavement were significantly correlated with severe psychological distress in FY2016.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggested that youths showed higher rates of severe psychological distress following the Fukushima disaster. PTSD symptoms and bereavement may have been risk factors for severe psychological distress.