A SURVEY OF ADULTS SUFFERING FROM MENTAL SEQUEULAE TO AN INCIDENT OF ACCIDENTAL MASS ARSENIC POISONING DURING INFANCY OR EARLY CHILDHOOD

Abstract

In 1955, about 13,000 babies in western Japan suffered from arsenic poison- ing due to contamination of powdered milk supplies. The purpose of this report is to survey the social adjustment and neuropsychiatric characteristics of persons with mental disorders, epilepsy and mental retardation who are registered at the head office of a nongovernmental victims'relief agency, the Hilary Society, set up to serve survivors of this mass poisoning incident. The authors analyzed records for 578 survivors, of whom 79 have died in adulthood. By means of questionnaires completed by case workers in the society's field offices, demographic features, health problems in infancy, education and occupation, marital status and family history, medical history and levels of social adaptation were investigated. We estimated the prevalence of schizophrenia and other disorders (F2 category in ICD-10) in the population of survivors and concluded that the prevalence of these mental disorders among survivors is statistically higher than that in the general population. Survivors seeking the relief agency's support also appear to be characterized by lower educational achievement, lower marriage rates and lower levels of social adaptation.