Exacerbation of Subthreshold PTSD Symptoms in aGreat East Japan Earthquake Survivor in the Context of theCOVID-19 Pandemic

In 2011, the people of Fukushima, Japan, experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE), a complex disaster ofearthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident. Its residents are experiencing a second global disaster, a COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.Objective. In this article, we aimed at discussing the effects of subthreshold PTSD in a previous disaster on an exacerbation of PTSDsymptoms in another disaster.Method. We present a case of subthreshold PTSD in the context of a nuclear accident andexacerbation of symptoms due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Results. Exacerbation of subthreshold PTSD symptoms was likelydue to the reemergence of an urgent atmosphere similar to the previously experienced traumatic event.Conclusions. PTSD mayoccur not only in those who experience the actual life-threatening like ICU admission but in those who experience theatmospheric change of society. This case demonstrated the characteristics of subthreshold PTSD caused by two disasters thatshared a similar sense of insecurity, the scale of impact on the society, invisibility of the threat, restricted movement, andauthoritative conflicts. These commonalities led to a recurrence and exacerbation of initial symptoms. Thisfinding should beshared with those involved in the care system for victims’mental health suffering from a large-scale disaster, and we needfurther research about the issue.