Researchers from the Universities of Canterbury and Otago are joining forces to research how people cope with difficult experiences, such as the Christchurch earthquake sequence, looking for ideas that will aid recovery and building resilience in future disasters around the world.
They are particularly interested in interviewing people who were in Christchurch during the earthquakes and have experienced loss or hardship as a result of the earthquakes (such as loss or difficulties at work or home, death or injury of family or friend, or who witnessed the effects of the earthquakes, such as being in the city centre and seeing fallen buildings or injured people), yet have felt able to cope with these events.
The study will involve assessment of psychological responses, verbal memory and emotional processing, and measurement of stress hormones and heart rate variability.
The findings from this study will help social scientists and others understand responses to earthquakes and will also be useful for promoting recovery and building resilience in future disasters around the world.
If you are interested in being involved in this study, please contact Alex Loughlin at the Department of Psychological Medicine on 372 0400 or email alex.loughlin@canterbury.ac.nz .
This project has been approved by the Upper South A Regional Ethics Committee.
Based on supplied material
