(1) Futaba residents can be facing more serious psychological distress than those in other disaster affected areas. More than 11 years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, and their mental health status had been gradually improving in the long term, but the recovery trend has stopped between 2020 and 2022. These show that recovery may take much longer time.
(2) In particular, there was a possibility that mental health of those who had lived in temporary shelters for long time was in a serious condition. However, currently, even after many of the residents have already moved from temporary shelters to public reconstruction housings, mental health of residents in public reconstruction housings and those who live in post-disaster public-funded rental accommodation is in a serious condition, and continuous mental health support is necessary.
(3) As to changes in income and health condition caused by the disaster, we find that the greater the extent of decrease or deterioration is, the greater the degree of decline in individual well-being tends to be. This implies the necessity of sufficient compensation to recover the original state of survivors’ well-being
5.
(4) The disaster has weakened social capital of Futaba residents, and recovery may take very long time.
(5) Keeping in touch with people who had been friends from pre-disaster time and participating in hobbies and volunteer activities after the disaster may help people maintain good mental health
6.
(6) Though relationship building with the residents of the evacuation destinations show some progress little by little, the progress is subtle and it is still an important challenge evacuees are facing.
(7) Aggravated present bias (procrastination tendency) due to disasters can lead a decline in mental health condition, but policies that promote interaction among residents and encourage good health behaviors can prevent such a decline
7.
These results have been presented in international and domestic academic conferences. Also, these results have been published in international academic journals. Furthermore, a book,
Fukushima Nuclear Disaster and Mental Health was published from Nippon hyoron sha in March 2021. We intend to continue our analysis and contribute to improve disaster preparation/rehabilitation policies.
Participants of our surveys are approximately 23% of households of Futaba and the results do not represent all Futaba residents. Since the survey was conducted after a major disaster, the characteristics of respondents may be very different from general surveys and there is a possibility that our data do not show the overall Futaba trend without any bias. Therefore, we need a special caution in interpreting the results, and any definitive judgments based solely on these findings should be avoided.
5 Iwasaki, K., Lee, M.J., Sawada, Y., 2019. Verifying Reference-Dependent Utility and Loss Aversion with Fukushima Nuclear-Disaster Natural Experiment, Journal of the Japanese and International Economies 52, 78-89.
6 Iwasaki, K., Sawada, Y., Aldrich, D., 2017. Social Capital as a Shield against Anxiety among Displaced Residents from Fukushima. Natural Hazards 89.
7 Sawada, Y., Iwasaki., K., Ashida, T., 2018. Disasters Aggravate Present Bias Causing Depression: Evidence from the Great East Japan Earthquake, CREPE DISCUSSION PAPER NO. 47.
Overview of the implication about the relationship between damage and present bias is available at page 6 of the report below: Keiko Iwasaki (2020.3.11) The 5th Survey of Nuclear Disaster Evacuees from Futaba, Fukushima, Summary of Results 2019, NLI Research Institute Report. (https://www.nli-research.co.jp/files/topics/63949_ext_18_0.pdf?site=nli, Accessed on Jan 10, 2023)