Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Victims of the Tokyo Subway Sarin Attack: Twenty Years Later

Abstract

Introduction: Previous studies found that about 10–30% of terrorist attack survivors suffer mental disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which persist up to 10 years. However, little is known about whether the effects of terrorism on mental health could last for a longer period or whether physical symptoms and secondary victimization are associated with the persistence of mental disorders. Method: A questionnaire survey was conducted with the victims of the Tokyo subway sarin attack in March 1995 (N = 299). Victims’ physical and ophthalmic symptoms, secondary victimization, and posttraumatic stress symptoms were surveyed. For comparison, those who have experienced a stressful event were surveyed with the same instruments as of victims’ survey except secondary victimization. Results: Results indicated that 21.3% of the male and 36.1% of the female victims were in the high-risk group for posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), which did not differ from those of the comparison group. However, victims had physical and ophthalmic symptoms of greater severity than the comparison group. Moreover, we found that PTSS was strongly associated with physical symptoms and secondary victimization. Discussion: There is a need to develop a support system that would be helpful in reducing mental health suffering of terrorist victims. Providing regular physical checkups and building support for those who experience life changes caused by victimization are suggested.

The Tokyo subway sarin attack has long-term effects on survivors: A 10-year study started 5 years after the terrorist incident

“…As for the somatic and psychological subjective symptoms and PTSD in the victims of sarin exposure, some symptoms persisted over the period from 6 months to 5 years after the attack [3,16,17,[22][23][24][25][26][27]. However, there have been few reports of sequelae more than 5 years after the incident [3,4,28]. In this study, the prevalence of PTSR was 35.1% and 25.8% at 5 and 14 years after the attack, respectively, significantly higher than the lifetime prevalence of PTSD in average Japanese citizens (1.3%) [29].…”

The neuropsychiatric aftermath of exposure to weapons of mass destruction: applying historical lessons to protect health during the war in Ukraine

“…After the Tokyo subway sarin attacks, large numbers of unexposed people rushed to receive medical care, overwhelming local healthcare facilities. Among the injured, physical and ophthalmic symptoms became persistent and were associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms two decades after the attack (Nakamine, Kobayashi, Fujita, Takahashi, & Matsui, 2018 ). Just like in Chornobyl, mothers of young children and nuclear plant workers were particularly affected in Fukushima (Havenaar et al, 2016 ; Shigemura et al, 2021 ).…”

MOF-808 on Polyacrylonitrile Nanofibers for Degradation of Chemical Warfare Agents

“…Chemical warfare agents (CWAs) can directly poison a victim by invading the human body. , Although the international use of chemical weapons is prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention, , a large number of incidents involving CWAs are being reported, such as the sarin incident in the Tokyo subway, indicating that densely populated areas are being targeted, , and the assassination of Kim Jong Nam. − Therefore, because CWAs remain a severe threat to human safety, the development of highly efficient materials that offer chemical protection is gaining increasing attention. , …”