Living with nuclear energy: A systematic review of the psychological consequences of nuclear power

Psychological aspects of living with nuclear energy and technology have interested researchers since their inception, yet a review of the research to date is yet to appear. Following an historical overview of the literature highlighting general thematic and methodological trends, this paper reports on a systematised review of qualitative and mixed methods research on psychological aspects of living with nuclear energy and technology. The historical overview shows how early studies focused on the psychological impacts of the atomic bombs, and living with the spectre of nuclear war. Later research often explored psychological aspects of living with civilian technologies such as nuclear power, and was typically quantitative in approach. Recently, the qualitative and mixed methods literature has expanded. In our systematised review, 26 qualitative and mixed methods studies were found to report on psychological experiences such as living near nuclear power plants and living through a nuclear accident, with common themes described including a lack of trust in authorities, the importance of biography in constituting psychological experience, and factors such as familiarity and sense of place in mediating perceptions. The literature as a whole points to the need for further qualitative research in the area, including more in-depth approaches.