Markedly Higher Mortality Among Psychiatric Inpatients Mandatorily Evacuated After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident

This study examined mortality among psychiatry inpatients who were evacuated after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in 2011. They found that mortality was higher in these patients, perhaps because of older age and comorbidities, the psychological and physical challenges of evacuation, and separation from their families and communities. The results demonstrate that emergency planners should be mindful of the risks of evacuation for vulnerable people after disasters.