Dataset Information

Psychosocial impacts on the Christchurch Muslim community following the 15 March terrorist attacks: a mixed-methods study protocol.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

On 15 March 2019, a white supremacist gunman opened fire in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, during Friday prayers, killing 51 people and injuring 40. The event was witnessed by at least 250 survivors and also live streamed on social media, leading to widespread and repeated exposure within the community. It is expected that survivors, families and community members will be at increased risk of developing mental disorders due to the scale and violence of these attacks.This protocol describes the first phase of a proposed longitudinal study to screen and assess the long-term impacts of the terrorist attack on members of the Christchurch Muslim community, to determine clinical need and facilitate access to appropriate interventions and to gain insights into working with such a traumatised, ethnically diverse population. It has been developed in close collaboration with members of that community.

Methods and analysis

A mixed-method design is described, combining self-report measures with a clinician-administered diagnostic interview. Participants include Christchurch Muslims aged 18 years and over, with a target sample size of n=200. Analyses will determine prevalence of major mental disorders, while regression analyses will model the relationship between pre-event features, trauma exposure and mental disorders. A small number of participants, stratified by exposure type, will also take part in a qualitative interview in English. All study information and self-report measures are provided in translations based on the ethnolinguistic composition of the group and are available in paper and online versions.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was granted by the New Zealand Health and Disability Ethics Committee 19/NTA/147. All participants provide informed consent, either written or online via REDCap software. The study is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry. Findings will be disseminated initially to the impacted community, then by publication in scientific journals, presentations and to government agencies.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12620000909921.

SUBMITTER: Sulaiman-Hill RC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8488282 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Psychosocial impacts on the Christchurch Muslim community following the 15 March terrorist attacks: a mixed-methods study protocol.

Sulaiman-Hill Ruqayya C RC Porter Richard R Tanveer Sandila S Boden Joseph J Beaglehole Ben B Schluter Philip J PJ Dean Shaystah S Bell Caroline C

BMJ open 20211001 10

<h4>Introduction</h4>On 15 March 2019, a white supremacist gunman opened fire in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, during Friday prayers, killing 51 people and injuring 40. The event was witnessed by at least 250 survivors and also live streamed on social media, leading to widespread and repeated exposure within the community. It is expected that survivors, families and community members will be at increased risk of developing mental disorders due to the scale and violence of these attac ...[more]

PMID: 34598996

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundThe international terrorism threat urges societies to invest in the planning and organization of psychosocial care. With the aim to contribute to cross-national learning, this study describes the content, target populations and providers of psychosocial care to civilians after terrorist attacks in Norway, France and Belgium.MethodsWe identified and reviewed pre- and post-attack policy documents, guidelines, reports and other relevant grey literature addressing the psychosocial care response to terrorist attacks in Oslo/Utøya, Norway on 22 July 2011; in Paris, France on 13 November 2015; and in Brussels, Belgium on 22 March 2016.ResultsIn Norway, there was a primary care based approach with multidisciplinary crisis teams in the local municipalities. In response to the terrorist attacks, there were proactive follow-up programs within primary care and occupational health services with screenings of target groups throughout a year. In France, there was a national network of specialized emergency psychosocial units primarily consisting of psychiatrists, psychologists and psychiatric nurses organized by the regional health agencies. They provided psychological support the first month including guidance for long-term healthcare, but there were no systematic screening programs after the acute phase. In Belgium, there were psychosocial intervention networks in the local municipalities, yet the acute psychosocial care was coordinated at a federal level. A reception centre was organized to provide acute psychosocial care, but there were no reported public long-term psychosocial care initiatives in response to the attacks.ConclusionsPsychosocial care responses, especially long-term follow-up activities, differed substantially between countries. Models for registration of affected individuals, monitoring of their health and continuous evaluation of countries' psychosocial care provision incorporated in international guidelines may strengthen public health responses to mass-casualty incidents.

Dataset Information

Psychosocial impacts on the Christchurch Muslim community following the 15 March terrorist attacks: a mixed-methods study protocol.

Introduction

Methods and analysis

Ethics and dissemination

Trial registration number

Publications

Psychosocial impacts on the Christchurch Muslim community following the 15 March terrorist attacks: a mixed-methods study protocol.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets