Copying Strategy and Risk Communication of the Population Involved in the Chernobyl Accident. Galina Rumyantseva, The Serbsky Research Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry, Kropotkinsky Pereulok, 23, 119034 Moscow, Russia; Peter Allen, Robens Institute, University of Surrey, England; and Dasha Pliplina, The Serbsky Research Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry, Kropotkinsky Pereulok, 23, 119034 Moscow, Russia
This paper discusses recent work which was fulfilled by an international group of scientists. The results showed that the efficiency of risk communication depends on particularities related to the coping strategy used by people involved in an accident. A widespread copying strategy, which 70% of population showed, was related to refusing responsibility of their own fate and--what is a main point--putting the responsibility of the own health into the hands of the state, local authorities and medical service. The main result of this situation is the development of learned helplessness as a coping strategy. A second type of copying strategy is an avoidance of all factors which can remind of an accident. This behavior transforms the accident into a "stress ghost", which becomes real only when receiving additional information. The fatalistic attitude to reality significantly decreases the stress. This is a characteristic feature of the Russian population, but applied especially by the people involved in the Chernobyl accident. All used coping strategies are passive and the main results of them might be not only the decrease of practical activity, but also affect the dose, because the population refuses to utilize protective behavior. In accordance with these results the risk communication should include not only radiological education but also psychological help for changing the copying strategy into a more rational one.