Aging and mental health of the Chornobyl catastrophe survivors

Abstract

Introduction The Chornobyl catastrophe (ChC) has impacted on depopulation and mental health of the survivors, however, the rate of demographic aging and mental health survey remain at issue. Objectives To determine the rate of demographic aging of ChC survivors and to analyze the state of their mental health survey. Methods Information from the Ministry of Health and the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, Clinical and Epidemiological Register, the State Register of ChC survivors, and clinical neuropsychiatric data were analyzed. Results In 2018, compared to 1995, the number of the ChC survivors decreased by 987 thousand with high level of aging: ChC clean-up workers – 59.0%; evacuees – 25.0%, and residents of radioactively contaminated territories (RCT) – 30.7%. There are negative tendencies in age parameters of survival of the RCT population. Long-term mental health disorders and neuropsychiatric effects in the ChC survivors have been identified, which may indicate an accelerated aging. Neurophysiological and molecular-biological atypia of aging processes under an exposure to low doses of and low dose rate of ionizing radiation have been found. Existing statistical and registry data underestimate the level of mental disorders in the population of Ukraine, including the ChC survivors by an order of magnitude. Conclusions The negative tendencies in age parameters of survival indicate the need to continue research to identify the factors “responsible” for such changes. Mental health disorders and neuropsychiatric effects in the ChC survivors are underestimated. It is necessary to create a national psychiatric registry of Ukraine and long-term (lifelong) monitoring of survivors. Disclosure No significant relationships.

Keywords

• registers
• mental health
• Chornobyl catastrophe survivors
• demographic aging