Victims ‘likely to feel angry’
PA Hamilton Earthquake victims are likely to feel angry, if past emergencies are a guide, says a Mental Health Foundation official.
A lot of people would need counselling in the next few months, said Dr Hilary Haines, the deputy director.
Many people were in a state of shock from Bay of Plenty earthquakes but those feelings could be replaced by anger and “stroppiness”, said Mr Noel Stevens, Rotorua’s assistant director of social work. Social workers were helping victims, and Civil Defence welfare workers and others were also providing support. They were fielding questions from residents, many of them such straightforward queries as should people empty their freezers because of power cuts? he said.
Two Rotorua staff were in the area with chequebooks, which Civil De-
fence said was appreciated, Mr Stevens said.
The Whakatane office would probably deal with most requests for money and extra staff would help. Mr Stevens said the area was fortunate to have many maraes. A lot of people voluntarily left their homes to go to them for companionship and security. Everybody was fed on maraes on Tuesday night and so it was likely maraes might need financial help, he said.
The Rotorua office was working until midnight answering both local and international calls from people wanting to know about the safety of relatives.
Dr Haines said one of the myths about disasters was that people panicked. Panic was actually "quite uncommon.”
Mental health effects were .more likely to emerge after the disaster. For Bay of Plenty victims, it was likely to be from yesterday onwards.
People would feel anxious, depressed, and angry and psychosomatic illnesses such as upset stomachs and diarrhoea were common.
Dr Haines said people adapted better after natural disasters than those they felt could have been prevented.
Reports of people not wanting to leave maraes where they had been staying after the disaster showed a positive response from victims. It meant people wanted to be with others rather than returning to their homes and a feeling of isolation — “a strong feeling of togetherness.”
There would be a need for mental health assistance. Mental health services might need help from .outside to cope.
Research showed that elderly people were badly affected by disasters and were likely to become depressed. Children developed phobia, sleep disturbances and nightmares.
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Press, 5 March 1987, Page 4
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388Victims ‘likely to feel angry’ Press, 5 March 1987, Page 4
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