Beyond Decontamination: Family-Centered Psychosocial Consequences of CBRN Events

Abstract

Context: Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) crises have traditionally been addressed through technical and biomedical responses, such as detection and decontamination. However, these frameworks largely overlook the profound psychosocial effects on families, which are the primary units of care and resilience. The invisible and ambiguous nature of CBRN events uniquely destabilizes intimate relationships and domestic life. Evidence Acquisition: This conceptual commentary is based on a narrative synthesis of cross-disciplinary insights from disaster psychology, crisis sociology, and existing psychosocial care guidelines. It examines the distinctive features of CBRN events, such as invisibility and uncertainty, and applies this framework to intrafamilial dynamics, supported by evidence from related fields, including pandemic psychology and case studies from past CBRN events. Results: The analysis identifies key mechanisms through which CBRN events fracture family resilience: 1) contamination anxiety transforms protective caregiving into policed interactions, stifling spontaneity; 2) the suppression of physical touch, a primary channel for safety and belonging, leads to emotional isolation; 3) shared family narratives fragment into individualized ontologies of risk, eroding trust and the collective “we”; and 4) internal role conflicts and boundary retractions further weaken domestic bonds. These dynamics are particularly pronounced in cultural contexts such as Iran, where familial closeness and shared rituals are central to social life. Conclusions: A holistic and humane CBRN preparedness paradigm must extend beyond biomedical survival and technical decontamination to actively protect and restore family relationships. True resilience should be measured by the restoration of trust, affection, and collective belonging within households. Emergency management should therefore integrate family-centered psychosocial support, train responders in relational dynamics, and develop communication strategies that sustain cohesion, with the ultimate goal of restoring not only lives but also the relational fabric of society.