Psychosocial Consequences of Exposure to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Agents

Perpetrators may use chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) agents to bring fear, uncertainty, and disruption to their target societies. In recent years, there has been a growing concern for nuclear disaster scenarios, either intentional (e.g., use of nuclear weapons, armed attack on nuclear power plants) or non-intentional (e.g., nuclear power plant accidents). Among the well-documented CBRN studies are the atomic bomb attacks of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1945), the Chornobyl (Chernobyl) accident (1986), the Tokyo subway sarin attacks (1995), and the Fukushima accident (2011). These events have shown that when a CBRN disaster happens, its impact on individuals, families, communities, and governments is massive, disruptive, and dreadful. It will benefit various stakeholders to learn and prepare for potential CBRN disasters.