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Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of footage of Cathedral Square playing on a number of computer monitors as part of Gap Filler's ninth project, Thinking Outside the Square. The footage was sourced from the Christchurch community and cut into an hour-long video spanning 100 years. The monitors are placed amongst wooden pallets, an excavator, and other building material.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

The book launch for "The Shaken Heart Booklet", a collection of interviews with members of the Lyttelton Community put together by Sue-Ellen Sandilands (left), Bettina Evans (middle) and Jen Kenix (right). The event was held at the Lyttelton Pentanque Club, a Gap Filler project on the site of the Ground Culinary Centre on London Street. In the background, members of the public are also making wool medals to celebrate the achievements of the community after the earthquake.

Research papers, University of Canterbury Library

Earthquake events can be sudden, stressful, unpredictable, and uncontrollable events in which an individual’s internal and external assumptions of their environment may be disrupted. A number of studies have found depression, and other psychological symptoms may be common after natural disasters. They have also found an association between depression, losses and disruptions for survivors. The present study compared depression symptoms in two demographically matched communities differentially affected by the Canterbury (New Zealand) earthquakes. Hypotheses were informed by the theory of learned helplessness (Abramson, Seligman & Teasdale, 1978). A door-to-door survey was conducted in a more physically affected community sample (N=67) and a relatively unaffected community sample (N=67), 4 months after the February 2011 earthquake. Participants were again assessed approximately 10 months after the quake. Measures of depression, acute stress, anxiety, aftershock anxiety, losses, physical disruptions and psychological disruptions were taken. In addition, prior psychological symptoms, medication, alcohol and cigarette use were assessed. Participants in the more affected community reported higher depression scores than the less affected community. Overall, elevated depressive score at time 2 were predicted by depression at time 1, acute stress and anxiety symptoms at time 2, physical disruptions following the quake and psychosocial functioning disruptions at time 2. These results suggest the influence of acute stress, anxiety and disruptions in predicting depression sometime after an earthquake. Supportive interventions directed towards depression, and other psychological symptoms, may prove helpful in psychological adjustment following ongoing disruptive stressors and uncontrollable seismic activity.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of a flower in a road cone at the University of Canterbury. On the anniversary of the 22 February 2011 earthquake, people were encouraged to place flowers in road cones as a way of honouring those who lost their lives during the earthquake.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the Age Concern Canterbury Building behind a cordon fence on Cashel Street, near Cambridge Terrace. To the right is the site of a demolished building, next to another partially-deconstructed building.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph of the site of the Crowne Plaza Hotel on the corner of Kilmore and Durham Streets. The hotel has been demolished, leaving large piles of rubble which two excavators are working to clear.

Images, UC QuakeStudies

A photograph looking north down Manchester Street, taken from the intersection of Gloucester Street. In the distance, the road has been cordoned off. The Christchurch City Council car parking building can be seen on the right.