The biggest impacts of emergencies are often invisible

By Helen Killingley, Director of Operations

This month, I attended the Counter Terrorism Preparedness Network’s international conference on Humanitarian Assistance and Psychosocial Support. It was a timely reminder that the biggest impacts of emergencies are on people – and all too often go unseen.

Expert speakers from across the globe convened to talk about the mental health and wider psychosocial support needs of those affected by major disasters, including terrorism. The conference was chaired by Dr Anne Eyre, Hillsborough survivor, Vice Chair of Disaster Action and sociologist specialising in psychosocial aspects of disasters and their management.

Psychosocial support includes addressing both the mental health needs and the cultural, social, economic and political aspects involved in strengthening survivors’ wellbeing following a disaster. This can be particularly pertinent during collective trauma events such as terror attacks, war, pandemics and natural disasters that affect and involve an entire community and change the way society behaves.

There were many interesting learnings that are relevant to the way the Trust supports the complex mental health needs of emergency survivors and their loved ones: the invisible impacts that can last long after the physical impacts subside.

Above all, taking a holistic approach to funding survivors’ mental health needs is vital. Part of this is recognising the different circles of impact, from those directly affected to witnesses and first responders. Following disasters, systems must be put in place to help all those affected – directly or indirectly – and these should include cross-border considerations. It is important to ensure everyone can access mental health support, whether or not they are based in the vicinity of the disaster.

Everyone experiences trauma in different ways and it can manifest over different time periods. It is why the Trust is looking at how we make allowances for long-term mental health needs in the aftermath of UK disasters. We are working closely with survivors to better understand these longer-term impacts, including through our Bee The Difference research project with young people affected by the Manchester Arena Attack. We are also looking at how best to support first responders who are not always considered to be ‘survivors’ but whose first-hand experiences can be incredibly traumatic.

Conference speakers suggested that a compassionate approach to communication can also make a big difference to the mental health of communities affected. There must be sensitivity around using certain language or imagery. One of the speakers recalled an authority figure continuously drinking water during a live TV interview in which they were talking about a severe drought in the US. Compassionate communications remain important over the long-term, including around triggering events such as anniversaries.

The National Emergencies Trust’s mission is to ensure we support all emergency survivors and their loved ones, as emergencies do not discriminate. It’s why attending conferences like this one provide invaluable new perspectives to inform our thinking. Alongside this information-gathering, we will continue to take a data-led approach and work collaboratively with survivor communities to shape our mental health funding strategy. The Survivors Advisory Forum, Equity Scrutiny Group and our growing network of National Charitable Partners will also offer invaluable insight to ensure that during future emergencies we leave no-one behind.

If you’re interested in becoming a National Charitable Partner or would like further information, email fundraising@nationalemergenciestrust.org.uk (opens in a new tab)