18 Mar 2014

Stress still a problem - CERA

4:21 pm on 18 March 2014

Stress arising from dealing with the Earthquake Commission and insurance issues is a big factor for Christchurch residents, according to the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority's (CERA) latest wellbeing survey.

The survey is the third since the February 2011 earthquakes and aims to help address and identify ongoing stress in the community.

CERA chief executive Roger Sutton said the stresses people felt were moving away from the earthquakes themselves, towards problems connected with long repair processes, emotional fallout and a lack of information.

A group had been identified called the new vulnerable, who were aged 35-49 and who did not need support before the earthquakes, Mr Sutton said.

"Previously, vulnerable people in society were often linked up with support agencies. They knew how to ask for support.

"There's this new group of people who haven't actually needed support before and simply we've never really had to work out how we get them support and assistance."

Further research would be undertaken with people who fitted into the new vulnerable category.

The survey involved 2476 people from Christchurch city and the Selwyn and Waimakariri districts.