PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC-STUDY OF CH ILDREN LIVING IN KALUGA ANDBRYANSK REGIONS OF RUSSIA (AFTERMATHS OF THE CHERNOBYL CATASTROPHE)

According to WHO project ''Brain Damage in-Utero'' in the framework of the screening phase of the programme, 1025 children (725 in experimen tal group-Novorybkov and Klintsy towns of Bryansk region; 300 in contr ol group -Obninsk town of Kaluga region) end 600 parents (300 in exper imental group and 300 in control group) were studied using standardize d methods of psychological psychiatric assessment (Draw-a-man test, Br itish picture vocabulary test, Raven coloured matrices, Parental and t eacher Rutter Scales, CHQ-28, Verbal subtest of Wechsler test) for pot ential psychological and psychiatric effects of Chernobyl accident on child's intelligence, behavioural and emotional state, mental health o f parents and parental intellectual level. The following results were obtained: comparison of verbal IQ scores in children revealed a 6-fold Increase of these values in experiment group. Comparison of nonverbal IQ scores In children revealed that these values are 4 times higher i n experimental group. Comparison of scores according to Rutter parenta l and teacher scales revealed that emotional and behavioural disorders are 1,5 times more prevalent in children of experimental group. All t he above differences were statistically significant. Comparison of CHQ -28 scores was indicative of relative prevalence of these values in pa rents of experimental group, but there was no statistically significan t difference between such score in experimental and control groups. Co mparison of scores of parental la showed relative prevalence of these values in experimental group. The results obtained can not be complete ly estimated without thorough identification of individual doses recei ved by mothers and their children. Only after obtaining these data it will be possible to solve the problem of dose-effect.