Christchurch's Muslim community has high rates of mental health conditions, study finds

WARNING: This story talks about terrorism and mental health.

The March 15 terrorist attack left Christchurch's Muslim community with high rates of both mental health conditions and post-traumatic growth, researchers say.

The March 15 Project aims to understand the ongoing mental health impact of the terrorist attack on the Muslim community in Christchurch in 2019.

The University of Otago researchers shared their findings at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists conference in Dunedin on Monday.

During Friday prayers 51 people lost their lives and 40 people were wounded when a white supremacist terrorist attacked two Christchurch mosques.

About 250 witnessed the attack which was streamed on social media.

Just shy of a year later, interviews for the March 15 study started.

Close to 190 participants were involved, all adult Muslims representing 34 different ethnicities and including people who lost family members, were injured, witnessed the attacks, or had family members impacted.

Professor of Psychiatry and co-lead of the March 15 studies Caroline Bell said they discovered high rates of mental health disorders among participants and it was common for people to have several conditions at once.

"The conditions that people had were PTSD - post traumatic stress disorder - that we hear a lot about and it makes complete sense, but also depression. In fact, depression was the most significant disorder that people had," she said.

Those who lost loved ones or were injured were more likely to have depression or PTSD.

Uninjured witnesses had significant risks of PTSD, she said.

"That's really important because that group can often get forgotten with a lot of emphasis on people who've lost loved ones and who are injured, who need supports. But that other group can sometimes get lost and that's really important that their needs also get met," Bell said.

Close to 90 percent of participants were born outside New Zealand and had lived in Aotearoa for a median of 11 years.

Most participants reported exposure to at least one major traumatic event before the mosque attack, including natural disaster or living in a war zone.

University of Otago Associate Professor Ben Beaglehole said they also studied the positive psychological changes following the attack to create a more comprehensive picture.

The findings suggested those who experienced March 15 had relatively high levels of post traumatic growth compared to other populations exposed to trauma.

He was not surprised by the results.

"They were united by their shared faith and because there was a widespread outpouring of positive emotions following the shootings and these factors, I thought, might contribute to positive psychological impacts alongside the negative psychological impacts that they also experienced," he said.

The study measured growth across five areas including how they relate to others, new possibilities, personal strength, spiritual change and appreciation of life.

Religion also helped some people to manage their stress and cope better, Beaglehole said.

"It is integral because they were targeted directly because of their shared faith.

"We know that some of them may have questioned their religion in the aftermath, but as a group, the role of religion appeared to be an important mechanism by which they could make sense and grow through their experiences."

Senior research fellow and clinical psychologist Dr Shaystah Dean presented on a qualitative study which looked at the impacts of daily life and well-being post-attack.

It was important not to generalise experiences as the impacted community was incredibly diverse, not a homogenous group, with some only sharing a faith, she said.

The common themes included being overwhelmed in the midst of chaos, experiencing a silent and enduring impact, living similarly but differently with an often hidden emotional toll, and gaining meaning and growth, which could be finding purpose or renewing their sense of faith.

The need for support was not over and it was vital to address any barriers to accessing it as well as provide options, Dean said.

"There are ongoing stresses for people including changes in dynamics, children growing up without a parent, there are ongoing judicial processes, so I think keeping a long term view on the need of supporting those impacted is really important," she said.

Local Muslims were employed to provide support in the aftermath because they were trusted in the community and had the right cultural and linguistics skills.

March 15 studies co-lead and senior research fellow Dr Ruqayya Sulaiman-Hill said this blurred the lines between personal connections and professional roles, and it took a strong emotional toll.

"Some people, they were bereaved. Some had actually been shot in the mosque, some were survivors from the mosque, and yet they were still working in the roles to support others," she said.

Despite the toll it took, she said virtually everyone said they would do it again.

But there were lessons to be learnt, including taking a trauma informed approach as well as more peer support and targeted supervision.

She also wanted to see change in how relationships were viewed, saying some had lost people they viewed as de facto family, but because they were not related by blood it was not taken into account.

"Those relationships weren't really acknowledged."

The community had also raised concerns that certain voices were being overexposed in the media but they did not necessarily reflect the views of the community, she said.

A second phase covering five years post attack was planned, but the project did not get the funding to go ahead.

Where to get help:

• Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357.
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO. This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
• Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202.
• Samaritans: 0800 726 666.
• Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz.
• What's Up: 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787. This is free counselling for 5 to 19-year-olds.
• Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 or text 832. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, and English.
• Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254.
• Healthline: 0800 611 116.
• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155.
• OUTLine: 0800 688 5463.

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

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