Аннотация
Nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk test site has involved the hundreds of thousands people living at the territory of Kazakhstan in radio-ecological catastrophe. The aim of our study is to assess the dynamics of prevalence rates for mental disorders in the Kazakhstan population exposed to radiation in the result of nuclear tests. We have conducted the descriptive epidemiology and statistical analysis for the rates of mental disorders in the three representative groups of population, based on the screening examination in the period 2007–2012. Main group included 5,327 people living in Abay, Abralinsky and Beskaragay districts of East-Kazakhstan area (range of effective radiation doses 250–499 mSv); comparison group – 4,115 inhabitants of Zharma district (effective radiation doses 200–249 mSv); control group included 3,267 people arrived to the studied territories after 1990 and not exposed to radiation. Prevalence rates of mental disorders in the both main and comparison groups significantly exceeded control rates for the all period of study. Average annual odds ratio (OR) in the main group was 1.37 compared with control. For the comparison group OR was 1.19; it means considerable uncertainty in interpretation of such differences with control rates and allows to assume the peculiar dose threshold for forming of additional cases of these diseases. Such range of doses could be exceeding 250 mSv and corresponds to the dose diapason in the main group. Prevalence rates of mental disorders in this group throughout the study were significantly higher than control rates and fluctuated in the range 226.8–242.6 cases per 1000 population. In the structure of mental disorders in all studied groups average proportion of neurotic disorders was 22, 6%; disorders of adaptive reactions −13.1%, neurasthenia −12.6%, mild mental retardation −12.1 %, disorders of educational skills −12.0%. Results of the study show the relation between indirect radiation exposure and increased level of separate mental disorders in the offspring of the population exposed to radiation. Key messages Prevalence rates of mental disorders in the group of exposed to radiation people significantly exceeded the control rates The greatest concern is caused by the identification of radiation risk groups represented by the off-springs born from exposed population