The outward signs of a natural disaster are beginning to disappear from Christchurch’s environment. As the last damaged buildings of the business district are demolished, empty lots are replaced by tilt-slab offices and enormous sheets of glass and nearly all but the most complex insurance claims have been settled with repairs and rebuilds complete.
However, experts like Dr Alistair Humphrey, Canterbury District Health Board’s medical officer of health,say the psycho-social recovery of the city is in desperate need of attention. As the initial trauma and stress of the quakes fade from memory, many expected the mental health of the population to have recovered. Instead, mental illness statistics are continuing to climb in almost every measurable area.
Meanwhile, Humphrey claims Canterbury District Health Board is one of only two in the country which has had its funding decrease in the past two years. Figures provided by Dr Humphrey comparing the 2015/16 year to 2016/17 show Canterbury’s mental health funding has been cut by 4.5 percent. This makes the funding here $44 less than the national average of $251 per person.
However, experts like Dr Alistair Humphrey, Canterbury District Health Board’s medical officer of health,say the psycho-social recovery of the city is in desperate need of attention. As the initial trauma and stress of the quakes fade from memory, many expected the mental health of the population to have recovered. Instead, mental illness statistics are continuing to climb in almost every measurable area.
Meanwhile, Humphrey claims Canterbury District Health Board is one of only two in the country which has had its funding decrease in the past two years. Figures provided by Dr Humphrey comparing the 2015/16 year to 2016/17 show Canterbury’s mental health funding has been cut by 4.5 percent. This makes the funding here $44 less than the national average of $251 per person.
This three minute introductory clip paints a bleak picture of mental health in Canterbury. There are, however, many community driven initiatives supporting residents, and government funded programs such as All Right? and The Worry Bug Project, and many more as outlined in this Lincoln University inventory.
| inventory_of_community_initiatives_2011_to_2012.pdf |
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