Experiences Providing Psychiatric Assistance during the Great Hanshin Earthquake and the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake

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  • 阪神大震災および東日本大震災における精神医療支援の経験

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In 1995, the central western urban area of Japan was hit by the Great Hanshin Earthquake, which resulted in over six thousand fatalities. In 2011, another earthquake, referred to as the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, occurred in a northeastern rural area of Japan. This earthquake led to a mega-tsunami, which happened soon after and resulted in twenty thousand people killed or missing. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was also hit by the tsunami. We provided psychiatric assistance to the victims of both disasters one month and also around 6 months after the disasters. From those experiences, in the article we show similarities and differences in the psychological reactions between the people of both disasters during the "honeymoon phase." This phase is a short (two weeks to two months) post-disaster period, and is characterized by a euphoric affect, altruistic response, and group cohesion. We also discuss differences between the "honeymoon phase" and the following "disillusionment phase," lasting from several months to a year or more. Most sufferers developed comprehensive, transient, and mild reactions of anxiety/phobia or insomnia during the "honeymoon phase." They usually suppressed their negative emotions, which tended to easily disrupt the stability they had achieved. Some survivors even showed a hypomanic reaction, which was characterized by hyperactivity, an irritable mood and short sleep. In the "disillusionment phase," a considerable number of people suffered from anxiety and depression. Contrary to the general expectation, the people living in the disaster area did not express any additional concern about the radiation contamination.

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