0325 INSOMNIA IN RELATION TO DISASTER-RELATED EXPERIENCES AMONG FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR PLANT WORKERS: THE FUKUSHIMA NEWS PROJECT STUDY

Abstract

The Fukushima Nuclear Energy Workers’ Support (NEWS) project study previously showed that experiences related to the Fukushima nuclear disaster had a great impact on psychological states, which may be linked with insomnia among the nuclear plant workers. However, the complex mechanisms that disaster-related experiences cause insomnia are not fully understood. A total of 1,456 nuclear power plant workers who responded a questionnaire on insomnia-related symptoms measured by Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and disaster-related experiences in 2011. Path analysis was used to examine the potential effect of disaster-related experiences, age and gender on three types of insomnia (difficulty in initiating sleep; difficulty in maintaining sleep; early morning awakening). We hypothesized that disaster-related experiences had a direct effect on insomnia and an indirect effect mediated by the experience of discrimination. Five disaster-related experiences were found to significantly influence insomnia: discrimination, life-threatening danger, major property loss, witnessing of plant explosion, and home evacuation. Difficulty in initiating sleep was significantly related to all five events but mainly to the experiences of life-threatening danger and witnessing of the explosion. Difficulty in maintaining sleep was significantly related to experiences of discrimination and life-threatening danger. Early morning awakening was significantly related to age and experiences of discrimination, life-threatening danger and home evacuation. Major property loss and experience of life-threatening danger were the two main significant determinants of discrimination. Life-threatening experiences (i.e., life-threatening danger, witnessing of the explosion) may conjure up disturbing scenes that hamper sleep initiation. However, early morning awakening might be related to uncertainty of living (home evacuation). Discrimination was found to be associated with all three types of insomnia and was also influenced by other experiences, suggesting that providing comprehensive supports to these workers suffering from discrimination might be the most beneficial way of reducing insomnia-related problems.