Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Growing up in the shadow of Chornobyl: adolescents’ risk perceptions and mental health

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Despite long-term research on risk perceptions of adults after ecological disasters, little is known about the legacy for the generation exposed to toxic elements as infants. This study examined Chornobyl-related risk perceptions and their relationship to mental health in adolescents raised in Kyiv in the aftermath of the accident.

Methods

Risk perceptions, 12-month DSM-IV major depression (MDD)/generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and current symptomatology were examined in 265 evacuee adolescents, 261 classmate controls, and 327 population-based controls 19 years after the accident. Competing risk factors, including maternal risk perceptions and MDD/GAD, were taken into account.

Results

Significantly more evacuees (48.7%) than controls (33.4–40.0%) reported at least one negative perception of Chornobyl; 18.1% of evacuees versus 10.0-12.8% of controls reported 2–4. In contrast, 75.7% of evacuee mothers versus 34.8–37.6% of controls endorsed 2–4 negative perceptions. In the unadjusted analyses, adolescents’ perceptions were associated with both MDD/GAD and symptomatology. After adjusting for competing risk factors, their perceptions were associated with symptomatology only (p < 0.01). Among the competing risk factors, gender, self-esteem, life events, and peer support were significantly associated with MDD/GAD. These measures, along with quality of parental communication, father belligerence when drunk, and maternal MDD/GAD, were significantly associated with symptoms.

Conclusions

More evacuee teens reported negative risk perceptions than controls, but these perceptions were only modestly associated with mental health. Instead, the strongest risk factors comported with epidemiologic studies conducted in other parts of the world. Research is needed to determine whether children raised in the aftermath of other ecological disasters demonstrate similar resilience.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Asparouhov T, Muthén B (2006) Robust chi square difference testing with mean and variance adjusted test statistics. Mplus Web Notes No 10. http://www.statmodel.com/download/webnotes/webnote10.pdf

  2. Bar Joseph N, Reisfeld D, Tirosh E, Silman Z, Rennert G (2004) Neurobehavioral and cognitive performances in children exposed to low-dose radiation in the Chernobyl accident: the Israeli Chernobyl Health Effects Study. Am J Epidemiol 160:453–459

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Baverstock K, Williams D (2006) The Chernobyl accident 20 years on: an assessment of the health consequences and the international response. Environ Health Perspect 114:1312–1317

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bentler PM (1990) Comparative fit indexes in structural models. Psychol Bull 107:238–246

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Birleson P (1981) The validity of depressive disorder in childhood and the development of a self-rating scale: a research report. J Child Psychol 22:73–88

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bokszczanin A (2007) PTSD symptoms in children and adolescents 28 months after a flood: age and gender differences. J Traum Stress 20:347–351

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Bolton D, O’Ryan D, Udwin O, Boyle S, Yule W (2000) The long-term psychological effects of a disaster experienced in adolescence: II: General psychopathology. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 41:513–523

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bonanno GA, Galea S, Bucciarelli A, Vlahov D (2007) What predicts psychological resilience after disaster? The role of demographics resources and life stress. J Consult Clin Psychol 75:671–682

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Bromet E, Dew MA (1995) Review of psychiatric epidemiologic research on disasters. Epidemiol Rev 17:113–119

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Bromet EJ, Gluzman SF, Paniotto VI, Webb CPM, Tintle NL, Zakhozha V, Havenaar JM, Gutkovich Z, Kostyuchenko S, Schwartz JE (2005) Epidemiology of psychiatric and alcohol disorders in Ukraine: findings from the Ukraine World Mental Health Survey. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 40:681–690

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Bromet EJ, Gluzman SF, Schwartz JE, Goldgaber D (2002) Somatic symptoms in women 11 years after the Chornobyl accident: prevalence and risk factors. Environ Health Perspect 110(suppl 4):625–629

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Bromet EJ, Goldgaber D, Carlson G, Panina N, Golovakha E, Gluzman SF, Gilbert T, Gluzman D, Lyubsky S, Schwartz JE (2000) Children’s well-being 11 years after the Chornobyl catastrophe. Arch Gen Psychiatry 57:563–571

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Bromet EJ, Taormina DP, Guey LT, Bijlsma JA, Gluzman SF, Havenaar JM, Carlson H, Carlson GA (2009) Subjective health legacy of the Chornobyl accident: a comparative study of 19-year olds in Kyiv. BMC Pub Health 9:417

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Ceyhan E, Ceyhan AA (2007) Earthquake survivors’ quality of life and academic achievement six years after the earthquakes in Marmara, Turkey. Disasters 31:516–529

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Forum Chernobyl (2006) Chernobyl Forum 2003–2005. International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  16. Costello EJ, Egger H, Angold A (2005) 10-Year research update review: The epidemiology of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders: I Methods and public health burden. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 44:972–986

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Costello EJ, Egger H, Angold A (2006) 10-Year research update review: the epidemiology of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders. II. Developmental epidemiology. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 45:8–25

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Dew MA, Bromet EJ (1993) Predictors of temporal patterns of psychiatric distress during 10 years following the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 28:49–55

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Gil-Rivas V, Silver RC, Holman EA, McIntosh DN, Poulin M (2007) Parental response and adolescent adjustment to the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks. J Traum Stress 20:1063–1068

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Goenjian AK, Walling D, Steinberg AM, Karayan I, Najarian LM, Pynoos R (2005) A prospective study of posttraumatic stress and depressive reactions among treated and untreated adolescents 5 years after a catastrophic disaster. Am J Psychiatry 162:2302–2308

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Goodman R, Slobodskaya H, Knyazev G (2005) Russian child mental health: a cross-sectional study of prevalence and risk factors. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 14:28–33

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Green BL, Grace MC, Vary MG, Kramer TL, Gleser GC, Leonard AC (1994) Children of disaster in the second decade: a 17-year follow-up of Buffalo Creek survivors. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 33:71–79

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Guey LT, Bromet EJ, Gluzman S, Zakhozha V, Paniotto V (2008) Determinants of participation in a longitudinal two-stage study of the health consequences of the Chornobyl accident. BMC Med Res Method 8:27

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Haarasilta L, Marttunen M, Kaprio J, Aro H (2001) The 12-month prevalence and characteristics of major depressive episode in a representative nationwide sample of adolescents and young adults. Psychol Med 31:1169–1179

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Havenaar JM, Cwikel J, Bromet EJ (eds) (2002) Toxic turmoil: psychological and societal consequences of ecological disasters. Plenum, New York

    Google Scholar 

  26. Havenaar JM, Rumyantzeva GM, van den Brink W, Poelijoe NW, van den Bout J, van Engeland H, Koeter MWJ (1997) Long-term mental health effects of the Chernobyl disaster: an epidemiologic survey in two former Soviet regions. Am J Psychiatry 154:1605–1607

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Hoven CW, Duarte CS, Lucas CP, Wu P, Mandell DJ, Goodwin RD, Cohen M, Balaban V, Woodruff BA, Bin F, Musa GJ, Mei L, Cantor PA, Aber JL, Cohen P, Susser E (2005) Psychopathology among New York City public school children 6 months after September 11. Arch Gen Psychiatry 62:545–552

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. AC HuizinkAC, Dick DM, Sihvola E, Pulkkinen L, rose RJ, Kaprio J (2007) Chernobyl exposure as stressor during pregnancy and behaviour in adolescent offspring. Acta Psychiatr Scand 116:438–446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Igumnov S, Drozdovitch V (2000) The intellectual development mental and behavioral disorders in children from Belarus exposed in utero following the Chernobyl accident. Eur Psychiatry 15:244–253

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Kessler RC, Üstün TB (2004) The World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Int J Meth Psychiatr Res 13:93–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Kolominsky Y, Igumnov S, Drozdovitch V (1999) The psychological development of children from Belarus exposed in the prenatal period to radiation from the Chernobyl atomic power plant. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 40:299–305

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Lewinsohn PM, Roberts RE, Seeley JR, Rohde P, Gotlib IH, Hops H (1994) Adolescent psychopathology: II. Psychosocial risk factors for depression. J Abn Psychol 103:302–315

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Margolies PJ, Weintraub S (1977) The revised 56-item CRPBI as a research instrument: reliability and factor structure. J Clin Psychol 33:472–476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Marsh HW, Hau K, Wen Z (2004) In search of golden rules: Comment on hypothesis-testing approaches to setting cutoff values for fit indexes and dangers in overgeneralizing Hu and Bentler’s (1999) findings. Struct Equ Modeling 11:320–341

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. McFarlane AC, Policansky SK, Irwin C (1987) A longitudinal study of the psychological morbidity in children due to a natural disaster. Psychol Med 17:727–738

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Muthén LK, Muthén B (1998–2004) Mplus User’s Guide, 3rd edn. Muthén & Muthén, Los Angeles

  37. Nyagu AI, Loganovsky KN, Loganovskaja TK (1998) Psychophysiologic aftereffects of prenatal irradiation. Int J Psychophysiol 30:303–311

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Oldehinkel AJ, Wittchen H-U, Schuster P (1999) Prevalence, 20-month incidence and outcome of unipolar depressive disorders in a community sample of adolescents. Psychol Med 29:655–668

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Pfefferbaum B, Nixon SJ, Krug RS, Tivis RD, Moore VL, Brown JM, Pynoos RS, Foy D, Gurwitch RH (1999) Clinical needs assessment of middle and high school students following the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Am J Psychiatry 156:1069–1074

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Pfefferbaum B, Stuber J, Galea S, Fairbrother G (2006) Panic reactions to terrorist attacks and probable posttraumatic stress disorder in adolescents. J Traum Stress 19:217–228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Piko BF, Fitzpatrick KM (2003) Depressive symptomatology among Hungarian youth: a risk and protective factors approach. Am J Orthopsychiatry 73:44–54

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Rahu M (2003) Health effects of the Chernobyl accident: fears, rumours and the truth. Eur J Cancer 39:295–299

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Reijneveld SA, Crone MR, Verhulst FC, Verloove-Vanhorick SP (2003) The effect of a severe disaster on the mental health of adolescents: a controlled study. Lancet 362:691–696

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Reynolds CR, Richmond BO (1978) What I think and feel: a revised measure of children’s manifest anxiety. J Abn Child Psychol 6:271–280

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Ristkari T, Sourander A, Rønning JA, Piha J, Kumpulainen K, Tamminen T, Moilanen I, Almqvist F (2009) Childhood psychopathology and sense of coherence at age 18: findings from the Finish from a boy to a man study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 44:1097–1105

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Ruchkin V, Sukhodolsky DG, Vermeiren R, Koposov R, Schwab-Stone M (2006) Depressive symptoms and associated psychopathology in urban adolescents: a cross-cultural study of three countries. J Nerv Ment Dis 194:106–113

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Shaw JA (2000) Children, adolescents and trauma. Psychiatr Quar 71:227–243

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Starfield B, Riley AW, Green BF, Ensminger ME, Ryan SA, Kelleher K, Kim-Harris S, Johnston D, Vogel K (1995) The adolescent child health and illness profile: a population-based measure of health. Med Care 33:553–566

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Steiger JH (1989) Structural model evaluation and modification: an interval estimation approach. Multivar Behav Res 25:173–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Stiehm ER (1992) The psychologic fallout from Chernobyl. Am J Dis Children 146:761–762

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Suvak M, Maguen S, Litz BT, Silver RC, Holman EA (2008) Indirect exposure to the September 11 terrorist attacks: does symptom structure resemble PTSD? J Traum Stress 21:30–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Taormina DP, Rozenblatt S, Guey LT, Gluzman SF, Carlson GA, Havenaar JM, Zakhozha V, Kotov R, Bromet EJ (2008) The Chornobyl accident and cognitive functioning: a follow-up study of infant evacuees at age 19. Psychol Med 38:489–497

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Tartakovsky E (2010) Children of perestroika: the changing socioeconomic conditions in Russia and Ukraine and their effect on the psychological well-being of high-school adolescents. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 45(1):25–37

    Google Scholar 

  54. Turner RJ, Wheaton B, Lloyd DA (1995) The epidemiology of social stress. Am Soc Rev 60:104–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  55. Verger P, Combes J-B, Kovess-Masfety V, Choquet M, Guagliardo V, Rouillon F, Peretti-Wattel P (2009) Psychological distress in first year university students: socioeconomic and academic stressors, mastery and social support in young men and women. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 44:643–650

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Viinamäki H, Kumpusalo E, Myllykangas M, Salomaa S, Kumpusalo L, Kolmakov S, Ilchenko I, Zhukowsky G, Nissinen A (1995) The Chernobyl accident and mental well being—a population study. Acta Psychiatr Scand 91:396–401

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Wille N, Bettge S, Ravens-Sieberer U, the BELLA study group (2008) Risk and protective factors for children’s and adolescents’ mental health: results of the BELLA study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 17(Suppl 1):133–147

    Google Scholar 

  58. Zhu B, Walter SD, Rosenbaum PL, Russell DJ, Raina P (2006) Structural equation and log-linear modelling: a comparison of methods in the analysis of a study on caregivers’ health. BMC Med Res Method 6:49

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (MH51947). The authors thank Charles Webb for directing the field work; Vladimir Paniotto, for designing the sampling methodology for the population-based control group, and the interviewers and programmers at the Kiev International Institute of Sociology; Evgenii Golovakha and Natalia Panina for their work on developing the protocol; Margaret Bloom, Anna Geisherik, and Svetlana Stepukhovich for their careful translations and back-translations; and most of all, the participants who graciously gave their time to this project.

Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors has involvement with organizations with a financial stake in this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA

    Evelyn J. Bromet, Lin T. Guey, Gabrielle A. Carlson & Roman Kotov

  2. New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA

    David P. Taormina

  3. Altrecht Institute for Mental Health Care, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Johan M. Havenaar

  4. Ukrainian Psychiatric Association, Kiev, Ukraine

    Semyon F. Gluzman

  5. Departments of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine, Putnam Hall-South Campus, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-8790, USA

    Evelyn J. Bromet

Authors
  1. Evelyn J. Bromet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lin T. Guey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. David P. Taormina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gabrielle A. Carlson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Johan M. Havenaar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Roman Kotov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Semyon F. Gluzman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Evelyn J. Bromet.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bromet, E.J., Guey, L.T., Taormina, D.P. et al. Growing up in the shadow of Chornobyl: adolescents’ risk perceptions and mental health. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 46, 393–402 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0203-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-010-0203-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation