title: Chernobyl disaster sequelae in recent immigrants to the United States from the former Soviet Union (FSU).
abstract: Long-term mental health sequelae of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster have been documented for exposed populations who remained in the former Soviet Union (FSU) (Havenaar et al., 1997), and in a cohort migrated to Israel (Cwikel et al., 1997). This paper reports on Chernobyl disaster sequelae in émigrés (n = 321) to the United States. Demographic characteristics, migration factors, and self-reported physical health were considered. Both geographical proximity to the 1986 disaster, and perception of radiation risk stood as long-term indicators of current psychological distress. Proximity was related to poor self-perceived physical health, as well as current symptoms of depression (p<.05), anxiety (p<.01), and Chernobyl-related trauma distress (p<.001) on standardized measures. Environmental contamination as a reason for migration was also associated with greater mental health symptomatology.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Glass Center for Mental Health Research, One Washington Square North, New York, NY 10003, USA. rosemarie.foster@nyu.edu
authors.forename: RoseMarie Perez
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Marjorie F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Goldstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D047852:Chernobyl Nuclear Accident; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D014586:USSR / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States