Children’s psychosocial experiences after long-term evacuation following the Fukushima nuclear disaster: a qualitative study

On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami, compounded by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, triggered widespread devastation and prolonged evacuations. While the general mental health impacts of this disaster have been widely studied, little is known about the long-term psychological consequences for children who experienced extended displacement and later returned to their hometowns as adults.

This qualitative study explored the psychosocial experiences of individuals who were elementary school students residing in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture, at the time of the disaster and who voluntarily returned after long-term evacuation. Between July and September 2024, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six such individuals. Data were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach (M-GTA). Participants’ narratives revealed a complex psychological trajectory involving confusion and distress during the acute phase, strengthened family cohesion, stigma related to being nuclear disaster evacuees, and difficulties associated with repeated school transitions. A central emergent theme was a sense of maladjustment in host communities. The desire to reclaim lost time and reestablish identity played a key role in participants’ decisions to return to their hometowns. Children who experienced long-term evacuation developed a multifaceted psychological response that persisted into adulthood. Their decision to return home was shaped by both adverse psychosocial experiences and a strong motivation to reconnect with their roots and lost continuity of life.

The findings underscore the critical need for sustained, developmentally sensitive mental health support for children exposed to disasters, especially those facing prolonged displacement. Disaster recovery efforts must prioritize not only physical reconstruction but also social reintegration, stigma reduction, and educational stability to support long-term psychological resilience.