PTSD and bipolar II disorder in Fukushima disaster relief workers after the 2011 nuclear accident

Abstract

The global threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to accurately identify the immediate and long-term postdisaster impacts on disaster-relief workers. We examined the case of a local government employee suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and bipolar II disorder following the Great East Japan Earthquake. The complex and harsh experience provoked a hypomanic response such as elated feelings with increased energy, decreased need for sleep and an increase in goal-directed activity, which allowed him to continue working, even though he was adversely affected by the disaster. However, 3.5 years later, when he suffered further psychological damage, his PTSD symptoms became evident. In addition to treating mood disorders, trauma-focused psychotherapy was required for his recovery. Thereafter, we considered the characteristics of mental health problems that emerge in disaster-relief workers, a long time after the disaster, and the conditions and treatments necessary for recovery.

Coming to terms with Fukushima disaster-related trauma and earlier trauma by constructing a new identity. About a case

“…It is also possible to think that a manic avoidance of anxiety may be at work here. Alternatively, it could be an outcome of the risk communication that took place after the disaster" (Hori et al, 2020). This explanation would apply to the present case as well.…”