The Effects of the Atomic Bombing on Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki The detonation of both atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki not only destroyed both Japanese cities and resulted in over 199,000 casualties , but left an abominable effect on the health and lives of the atomic bomb survivors. Thanks to 280,000 survivors and organizations created, numerous amounts of research was done to understand the health effects caused mostly by the exposure to unsafe amounts of radiation. The research of effects on Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors is the longest and largest medical study in history; effects of the atomic bomb included long term health issues, immediate injuries, and discrimination against the survivors. To begin with, one …show more content…
Studies showed that compared to a control group, people in the city at the time of the bombing suffered more from symptoms like anxiety and depression. They also suffered from Somatization, which is commonly found in people diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). According to studies “... anxiety symptoms and somatization symptoms among people who were in the city at the time of the explosion was significantly higher than among those who were not in the city” (“Psychiatric Sequelae in Atomic Bomb Survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki Two Decades After the Explosions”). Not only did the bombings affect people physically, but left some in a mental state of distress decades after the event. Age, sex, location, and disease history was also taken into account during these …show more content…
The Hibakusha are divided into 3 different categories; people exposed directly to the radiation, people exposed within a 2 mile radius and people who entered the area within a couple of weeks after the bombing, and kids exposed while their mothers were pregnant, or in utero exposure. Most survivors were discriminated against and were found ineligible for work or marriage and could not receive the needed medical treatment, mostly because people at the time thought radiation contamination was able to spread. Two laws were passed by the Japanese government and was forced to give medical assistance to atomic bomb survivors after , the “A-bomb Victims Medical Care Law” (1956) and “Law on Special Measures for Sufferers” (1967), (“Who Are the