The Psychosocial Effects of Chernobyl

[maay100@bgumail.bgu.ac.il (Quastel)]

>Re: the psychosocial effects of Chernobyl:

        We at the Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Beer Sheva, Israel
have had an active psychosocial program among immigrants to Israel who came
from areas of the Ukraine, Belarus and Russia near Chernobyl, including
salvage workers (liquidators) who worked within the 30 km zone. During the
past 5 years, there was a large wave of immigration to Israel amounting to
about 600,000 people from the former Soviet Union (FSU). Of these, we
estimate that about 120,000 came from areas with greater or lesser
radiosotope contamination. This is one of the largest groups of Chernobyl
exposed people outside the FSU and certainly the most assessible because of
the smallness of Israel.

        In studies involving direct interviews of over 350 people from the
abovementioned regions and a like number of control subjects from unexposed
areas, we have found strong evidence for post-traumatic stress disorder in
a minority of the exposed group, even though it is almost 10 years since
the accident. We do not ascribe such findings to any direct of radiation,
but rather to social disruption and shock following the accident. This work
is currently being written up for publication. Further information can be
obtained from the head of the psychosocial program, Dr. Julie Cwikel of the
Department of Social Work of the Ben Gurion University, whose e-mail number
is jcwikel@bgumail.bgu.ac.il.

                       Michael Quastel MD PhD, Head,
                       Institute of Nuclear Medicine
                       Soroka Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences,
                       Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel