I cannot begin to imagine what those directly affected and their whānau must be going through. For those who were here during the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes and ongoing recovery, old trauma might have been triggered afresh. Of course the authorities' focus needs to be on those directly affected. Studies of the 2011 Norway terror attack found 70 per cent of survivors were receiving specialist mental health services for post-traumatic stress disorder three years after the event. Here in Canterbury, we know too well the long-term mental health consequences that can linger years after a disaster.

Source: Stuff April 19, 2019 00:56 UTC