Abstract
After the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident, the Fukushima Health Management Survey was conducted to assess children’s lifestyle and mental health conditions. The participants in this study were 1126 children, aged 0 to 3 years, living in the evacuation zone at the time of the disaster. The parenting confidence of their mothers was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire as a baseline in 2013. We examined the association of parenting confidence level at baseline, using a total difficulty score of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and reluctance to attend school among children in a follow-up study in 2016 and 2017. As a result, no confidence was reported by 178 (15.8%) mothers, while 477 (42.4%) responded with “not sure” and 471 (41.8%) were confident. In the multiple logistic analysis, after adjusting for covariates such as the child’s sex, age, and current health condition, the group lacking parenting confidence demonstrated a significantly higher risk level for SDQ total difficulties (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.59–4.93) and reluctance to attend school (OR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.24–3.18) than the confident mothers. After a major disaster, which can have long-term effects on communities, intensive psychological care for mothers with young children is needed to prevent various mental health problems in their children.
Highlights
Disasters make parenting practices difficult by changing living environments, such as through home damage and lack of utilities, and by deteriorating family functioning, which is characterized by disrupted family communications [1,2,3] and poor parenting [4].Reduced parenting quality after a disaster, which can be characterized by insufficient attention, support, and care for children [5], was identified as a major risk factor for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children, as a result of various types of natural and man-made disasters [6]
In this study, we examined how maternal parenting confidence during the first three years of their child’s life influenced mental health conditions in their children three or four years later in people affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster by using a longitudinal research design
The Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey is a part of the Fukushima Health Management Survey, which seeks to assess the mental and physical health conditions of the residents affected by the nuclear disaster, as well as to provide necessary care
Summary
Disasters make parenting practices difficult by changing living environments, such as through home damage and lack of utilities, and by deteriorating family functioning, which is characterized by disrupted family communications [1,2,3] and poor parenting [4]. Reduced parenting quality after a disaster, which can be characterized by insufficient attention, support, and care for children [5], was identified as a major risk factor for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children, as a result of various types of natural and man-made disasters [6]. When mothers’ functioning is sustained at a higher level, it buffers the negative impacts of disasters on child mental health [7]. The importance of the link between parental conditions and children’s mental health after a 4.0/).
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