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Children's well-being 11 years after the Chornobyl catastrophe
E J Bromet1, D Goldgaber, G Carlson
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 11794-8790, USA. ebromet@mail.psychiatry.sunysb.edu
Archives of General Psychiatry
|June 6, 2000
Summary
Children evacuated after the Chornobyl disaster showed few differences in self-reported mental health compared to peers. Maternal stress impacted perceptions of child well-being, not the children
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Disaster Psychology
- Pediatric Health
Background:
- The psychological impact of technological disasters on children is understudied.
- This research examines the Chornobyl disaster's effects on children evacuated from contaminated areas to Kyiv.
Observation:
- A 1997 study compared 300 Chornobyl evacuee children (infants/in utero during the disaster) with 300 non-exposed classmates.
- Data collected from children, mothers, and teachers included well-being measures, psychopathology risk factors, physical exams, and blood tests.
Findings:
- Evacuee children reported similar mental health to controls, except for higher Chornobyl-related anxiety and lower perceived scholastic competence.
- Mothers of evacuees rated their children's well-being lower, particularly somatic symptoms, influenced by maternal somatization and Chornobyl stress.
- No significant differences were observed on the Iowa Conners' Teacher Rating Scale.
Implications:
- Despite significant stressors, evacuee children exhibit resilience, suggesting protective factors.
- Maternal trauma and stress significantly influenced their perception of child well-being, particularly somatic complaints, but did not appear to directly transfer to the children's own reports.
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