Psychological Symptoms of Residents in the Aftermath of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident and Restart

Abstract

Abstract Psychological symptoms of 108 residents in the vicinity of Three Mile Island were assessed following the restart of the nuclear plant in 1985. Findings suggest that psychological symptoms in the community remain chronically elevated since the time of the 1979 accident but may not have been substantially impacted by restart. Twenty-five percent of the variance in global severity of symptoms was predicted by post-restart attitudes. A pattern of psychological reaction in the aftermath of technological disaster is discussed.