MULTIPLE CAUSES OF STRESS IN THE CONTEXT OF RADIATION RISK

In the presence of a threat from radiation, such as that posed by expo sure to contamination caused by the Chernobyl accident people are actu ally confronted with a variety of 'threats'. These include a mixture o f components having objective and subjective elements. The management of countermeasures, in particular, contributes to the definition of th e situation which labels the threats people encounter. Some findings f rom the affected areas in the former Soviet Union are discussed to dem onstrate the impact of several factors on the affect response of the p opulation.