Twelve years on: An evaluation of mental health status in Tomioka Town, located within 20 km of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.

We investigated the rate of depression among Tomioka residents using the Kessler 6-item Psychological Distress scale, finding that the distribution of scores indicating depression among Tomioka residents was substantially worse than for the general population. The results of our study indicated poor mental health among those wishing to return and those undecided regarding their intention to return, and a potential mismatch between perceived health risks and reality.