Trauma, depression, and resilience of earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster survivors of Hirono, Fukushima, Japan

Abstract

Aim: A mega-earthquake and tsunami struck the northeastern coast of Japan, and many survivors were forced to evacuate to temporary housing due to rising radiation levels. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and poor general health among survivors, to test the predictive roles of resilience on mental and physical health, and to examine the predictive sociodemographic factors on resilience.Methods: Two hundred and forty-one evacuees (men/ women: 116/125) from Hirono, Fukushima participated in the study. They were asked to complete the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Zung SelfRating Depression Scale, the Impact of Events ScaleRevised, and a demographic questionnaire.Results: Among all participants, 53.5% exhibited the clinically concerning symptoms of PTSD, and among them 33.2% indicated clinical PTSD symptoms. Additionally, 66.8% reported symptoms of depression, and among them 33.2% showed mildly depressive symptoms, while 19.1% and 14.5% demonstrated moderate and severe depressive symptoms, respectively. Resilience was a significant buffer for depression, PTSD, and general health. Additionally, employment status, eating/exercise habits, and drinking habits predicted resilience. Conclusion:The results indicated that depression and PTSD are prevalent among the survivors of massive earthquakes, tsunamis, and accidents from nuclear power plants. However, the results also showed that some survivors managed to endure the traumatic events relatively well, and resilience was a significant protective factor in dealing with such events. Therefore, it is crucial to assist survivors in improving their resilience by providing job opportunities and encouraging a healthy lifestyle.

Association of Chronic Pain and Community Integration of Returning Veterans With and Without Traumatic Brain Injury

“…14 Our findings showed that depression and PTSD had a substantial association with the job competency of the veterans, consistent with previous findings in the literature. 14,[43][44][45] After accounting for the significance of the TBI status, depression, and PTSD, we found that the pain interference and pain severity were independently associated with poorer participation in social activities outside the home; this is consistent with evidence that individuals suffering bodily pain are prone to lower quality of life. 46,47 However, their interaction had no relation to the social or home integration of veterans but did associate with job and productivity integration ratings.…”

Resilience mediates the relationship between depression and psychological health status in patients with heart failure: A cross-sectional study

“…Among the different models of resilience theory (i.e., compensatory, risk-protective, and challenge), the riskprotective model suggests that resilience may mitigate the negative impacts of risk factors on health status (Garmezy et al, 1984). Research has also found that resilience plays a protective role in mitigating the impact of stress and trauma on depressive symptoms and the consequences associated with depressive symptoms (Bitsika et al, 2013;Kukihara et al, 2014). Therefore, resilience can be assumed to be a possible moderator of the negative effects of depressive symptoms on physical and psychological health status in patients with heart failure.…”

Is trait resilience characterized by specific patterns of attentional bias to emotional stimuli and attentional control?

“…Scali et al, 2012), depressive (e.g. Edward, 2005;Kukihara, Yamawaki, Uchiyama, Arai, & Horikawa, 2014), and substance use disorders (Wingo, Ressler, & Bradley, 2014). Furthermore, trait resilience has been shown to predict treatment response in subjects with depression and PTSD (Davidson et al, 2012;Min, Lee, Lee, Lee, & Chae, 2012).…”