radiophobia
Sign in to savethumb|right|200px|alt=Radiation need not be feared, but it must command your respect.|Health physics poster [[exhorting respect for—rather than fear of—radiation. (ORNL, 1947)]]
~12 min read
Article
10 sectionsContents
- Early use
- Castle Bravo and its influence on public perception
- In popular culture
- {{anchor|Radiophobia and Chernobyl}}Radiophobia and Chernobyl
- Chernobyl abortions
- Radiophobia and health effects
- Radiophobia and industrial and healthcare use
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|right|200px|alt=Radiation need not be feared, but it must command your respect.|Health physics poster [[exhorting respect for—rather than fear of—radiation. (ORNL, 1947)]]
Radiophobia, a portmanteau of “radiation” and “phobia”, refers to fear of ionizing radiation exceeding the actuarial risk, leading to overestimating the health risks of radiation compared to other risks. However, when comparing the fear of radiation that is commonly encountered with the clinical criteria (e.g. in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), it is clear that radiophobia fundamentally is a misnomer. Lindberg & Archer (2022) defines "radiophobia" as “the socio-psychological and cultural relationship between individuals and ionising radiation, characterised by a clear disparity between the actual and perceived risks and health effects of radiation exposure” .