Psychological impact of natural disasters

Canterbury residents to participate in unique study which will examine the psychological impact of natural disasters

The long-term personal impact for Christchurch earthquake victims is to be researched to establish the levels of psychological distress in the region, and allow for the development of policies and plans to mitigate the personal impact of further natural disasters.

The study will be part of the on-going Christchurch Health and Development Study, by Professor David Fergusson from the University of Otago, Christchurch, which has been following 1,265 children born in Christchurch in 1977 through to the current day – capturing a wealth of information about their health and wellbeing.

“This study will be unique, because we have so much information on how the participants were before the quake – information that would never normally be available after a natural disaster. Around half of the study cohort was not in Christchurch at the time of the quake, allowing vital comparisons to be made between those that directly experienced the disaster and those that did not,” explains Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) Chief Executive, Dr Robin Olds.

The HRC supports the study and is allocating Government funds to extend the research into this important area.

This research will provide information about the extent to which people who are exposed to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, are at increased risk of adverse psychosocial outcomes, and will facilitate the development of policies and plans for service provision in the likely event that further significant natural disasters occur.

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