It is generally recognized that the Chornobyl nuclear accident caused strong psychosocial stress affecting the entire population of Ukraine, primarily people involved in recovery operations. But what are the reasons? What is the struc ture of stressors? What are their social, medical and biological consequences, what are strategy and preventive meas ures? Issues that require special research and development.
Objective: To study social and psychological state of the Chornobyl cleanup workers 1986-1987, and to determine regularities of changes and dangerous risk factors.
Materials and methods: On the basis of Polyclinic of Radiation Registry, NRCRM, we conducted sample epidemiolog ical study of social and psychological state of the Chornobyl clean up workers 1986-1987. We used method of inter viewing based on «questionnaire», specially developed for this purpose. The study was conducted in October 2013 - May 2015. The sample numbered 235 males aged 18-50 at the time of the accident. Their average age was (31.3 ± 5.3) years at the time of the accident and (58.9 ± 5.3) at the time of survey.
Results: The results revealed that the Chornobyl nuclear accident and its consequences caused strong social and psychological stress among clean up workers 1986-1987. We have identified a set of factors closely related to the Chornobyl accident, they have caused a sustainable development of mental syndrome - «Anxiety about their own health and the health of family members, especially children». The other set of stressors which are not closely relat ed to the Chornobyl accident but are the result of the social and economic, social and political situation in the coun try. However the former was found to be the cause of such a psychological state as «dissatisfaction with the com pleteness and quality of life».
Conclusions: Social and psychological state of the Chornobyl clean up workers 1986-1987 is estimated as «poor» and it integrally can be characterized as a state of chronic psychosocial stress. Mental syndrome «Anxiety about per sonal health and the health of family members» and psychological syndrome «Dissatisfaction with living condi tions» are main consequences of this state. We identified the main stressors closely related to the consequences of the Chornobyl accident as well as those that are not related to the accident but affect profoundly the level of men tal, social and physical well being. Results of the research are of great importance in organization and provision of social, medical and antiradiation protection of population under emergency situations involving radiation exposure. Key words: Chornobyl accident, clean up workers, social and psychological state, risk factors.
Zagal'novyznano, shcho iaderna avariia na ChAES stala prychynoiu potuzhnogo psykho sotsial'nogo stresu, iakogo zazna lo praktychno vse naselennia Ukraïny i, nasampered, kontyngenty, zalucheni v ïï naslidky. Odnak, iaki prychyny ts' ogo iavyshcha? Iaka struktura stresogennykh faktoriv? Iaki sotsial'ni i medyko biologichni naslidky diï tsykh faktoriv, iaka strategiia i zakhody profilaktyky? Pytannia, shcho potrebuiut' spetsial'nykh doslidzhen' i rozrobky.Meta doslidzhennia. Vyvchennia sotsial'no psykhologichnogo stanu uchasnykiv LNA na ChAES 1986–1987 rr., ta vyzna chennia zakonomirnostey̆ zmin i nebezpechnykh faktoriv ryzyku.Materialy i metody doslidzhen'. Na bazi polikliniky radiatsiy̆nogo reiestru NNTsRM provedeno vybirkove epide miologichne doslidzhennia sotsial'no psykhologichnogo stanu uchasnykiv LNA na ChAES 1986–1987 rr. Vykorystano metod interv’iuvannia za spetsial'no rozroblenoiu dlia tsiieï mety «anketoiu opytuval'nykom». Doslidzhennia pro vedeno v period zhovten' 2013 r. – traven' 2015 r. Chysel'nist' vybirky – 235 osib cholovichoï stati, vikom na mo ment avariï 18–50 rokiv. Seredniy̆ vik obstezhenykh na moment avariï (31,3 ± 5,3) rokiv, na moment opytuvannia – (58,9 ± 5,3) rokiv.Rezul'taty. Za rezul'tatamy doslidzhen' vstanovleno, shcho iaderna avariia na ChAES ta ïï naslidky vyiavylys' pry chynoiu rozvytku u uchasnykiv LNA 1986–1987 rr. potuzhnogo sotsial'no psykhologichnogo stresu. Vyznacheno blok faktoriv, bezposeredn'o pov’iazanykh z avariieiu na ChAES, shcho staly prychynoiu rozvytku stiy̆kogo psykhichnogo synd romu – «Tryvoga za osobyste zdorov’ia i zdorov’ia chleniv rodyny, nasampered, ditey̆». Drugyy̆ blok stresogennykh faktoriv, bezposeredn'o ne pov’iazanykh z avariieiu na ChAES, ie naslidkom sotsial'no ekonomichnykh, sotsial'no politychnykh obstavyn v kraïni, iakyy̆, odnak, vyiavyvsia prychynoiu rozvytku takogo psykhologichnogo stanu, iak «neza dovolenist' povnotoiu i iakistiu zhyttia».Vysnovky. Sotsial'no psykhologichnyy̆ stan uchasnykiv LNA na ChAES 1986–1987 rr. otsiniuiet'sia, iak «neblagopoluch nyy̆» ta integral'no mozhe buty okharakteryzovanyy̆, iak stan stiy̆kogo khronichnogo psykhosotsial'nogo stresu. Os novnymy naslidkamy ts'ogo stanu vyiavliaiut'sia takyy̆ psykhichnyy̆ syndrom, iak «Tryvoga za osobyste zdorov’ia i zdo rov’ia chleniv rodyny», i psykhologichnyy̆ syndrom «Nezadovolenist' umovamy zhyttia». Vyznacheni osnovni streso genni faktory, bezposeredn'o pov’iazani z naslidkamy Chornobyl's'koï katastrofy, i ne pov’iazani z avariieiu, od nak taki, shcho istotno vplyvaiut' na riven' psykhichnogo, sotsial'nogo i fizychnogo blagopoluchchia. Rezul'taty prove denykh doslidzhen' ie suttievo vazhlyvymy dlia organizatsiï i zabezpechennia sotsial'nogo, protyradiatsiy̆nogo i medych nogo zakhystu naselennia v umovakh nadzvychay̆nykh radiatsiy̆nykh sytuatsiy̆.
Keywords: Chornobyl accident; clean up workers; risk factors; social and psychological state.
V. О. Buzunov, K. N. Loganovsky, L. I. Krasnikova, M. O. Bomko, Yu. M. Belyaev, Zh. S. Yaroshenko, T. Ye. Domashevska.