DEAR Blog
Disaster Experiential Activity and Reflection
Project by Noah Hass-Cohen, Psy.D., Alliant International University School of Professional Psychology
Contributors: Jeremy Arzt, M.A.; Joanna Clyde Findley, M.A.; Anya Kavanaugh, B.F.A;
Alliant International University, Couples and Family Therapy, Crisis and Trauma course students
1945: THE BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA & NAGASAKI
Background
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During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the Allies of World War II conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima (August 6,1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945) in Japan.
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The war in Europe ended when Nazi Germany signed its instrument of surrender on 8 May, but the Pacific War continued. Together with the United Kingdom and the Republic of China, the U.S. called for a surrender of Japan on 26 July 1945, threatening Japan with "prompt and utter destruction." The Japanese government ignored this ultimatum, and two nuclear weapons developed by the Manhattan Project were deployed.
Life Threatening Toll: Death and Injury
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Within the first two to four months of the bombings, the acute effects killed 90,000–166,000 people in Hiroshima and 60,000–80,000 in Nagasaki, with roughly half of the deaths in each city occurring on the first day.
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The Hiroshima prefecture health department estimated that, of the people who died on the day of the explosion, 60% died from flash or flame burns, 30% from falling debris and 10% from other causes.
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During the following months, large numbers died from the effect of burns, radiation sickness, and other injuries, compounded by illness.
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Some estimates state up to 200,000 in Hiroshima had died by 1950, due to cancer and other long-term effects.
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In a U.S. estimate of the total immediate and short term cause of death, 15–20% died from radiation sickness, 20–30% from burns, and 50–60% from other injuries, compounded by illness.
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In both cities, most of the dead were civilians, although Hiroshima had a sizeable garrison.
​Psychological Impact
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Japanese culture has high expectations that its people should cope with stress on their own. This pain and stress was mostly seen through the somatization symptoms and anxiety.
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Other symptoms reported were survivor guilt, a sense of being tainted or contaminated, traumatic dreams and flashbacks, avoidance, and emotional detachment.
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Those that were closer to the explosion reported higher levels of anxiety than those who were located farther away.
Long-term Psychological Impact
Even after seventeen years, those that had experienced the bombing were still reporting higher levels of anxiety than their peers who did not experience of the bombing.
This girl (11 years old) was on the second floor of a wooden house which was situated 2 kilometers from the hypocenter. Since she was indoors, she did not receive any burns, but about a week later, epilation started. She suffered from loss of appetite, bleeding from the gum, and fever. She was recovered a little when this photograph was taken.
Epilation is a characteristic external symptom of exposure to radiation. It can occur as early as 5 or 10 days after exposure, but in most instances the hair loss commenced in the second or third week. Fever begins a few days after the start of epilation and rises to about 40 degrees centigrade. Many people died in this condition.
Even those who were shielded and did not receive any external wound or burn suffered from symptons such as epilation, fever, bleeding and bloody excrement if they were within 1 kilometer of the hypocenter. Many of these victims died within 7 days
Human images from this disaster are very difficult to look at.