Exposure worry: an in-depth study of British nuclear test veterans

Abstract

There had been little research into the psychological impact of perceived ionising radiation exposure in British nuclear test veterans. The aim of this thesis was to examine the extent of exposure worry in British nuclear test veterans and the factors associated with exposure worry, and to explore the broader psychological impact of the British nuclear testing programme. Following scale piloting, the thesis comprised a multiple-methods design: a quantitative analysis of self-report and cognitive test data (n = 91) and a thematic analysis of interview data (n = 20). The quantitative findings indicated that, generally, British nuclear test veterans are more worried about possible health effects in their descendants compared to their own health: an observation which corroborated with the qualitative findings. While the quantitative findings showed that roughly half of the sample reported feeling stressed due to exposure worry, the qualitative findings suggested that worry was only relevant to a few participants and generally focused on their grandchildren’s health. Furthermore, more pertinent psychological issues were present relating to a sense of guilt regarding genetic responsibility and anger towards authorities. The presence of clinically relevant anxiety (the prevalence appeared excessively high in the sample) and the extent one attributes their health condition(s) to ionising radiation exposure were significantly associated with exposure worry. The role of clinically relevant anxiety occurs in the absence of any mediating role of attributing a condition to ionising radiation (n = 55). Interestingly, factors such as the veterans’ location, role, and national service status during the testing programme, socioeconomic factors, and cognitive functioning, were not associated with levels of exposure worry. The findings generated a comprehensive conceptual model illustrating the potential psychological impact of the British nuclear weapons testing programme. The thesis concludes with recommendations for transparency, narrative-based medicine, and a future line of inquiry exploring possible psychological issues in their descendants.