Many were displaced in Hawke's Bay during Cyclone Gabrielle in February. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Advocates warn mental health services will not be able to cope with the rising tide of post-cyclone trauma surfacing in Hawke's Bay and Tai Rāwhiti.
Te Whatu Ora told RNZ the number of people seeking mental health support through their GP has jumped 30 percent in Hawke's Bay alone since Cyclone Gabrielle.
Napier Family Centre chief executive Kerry Henderson said the cyclone added to the stress people were already under from the pandemic and the spiralling cost of living.
"We're seeing more inquiries coming through for counselling in particular," she said.
"I think it's really important to remember the emotional and social impacts of natural disasters like floods or cyclones are going to remain long after the water recedes."
A $10 million cyclone recovery budget boost for mental wellbeing initiatives was announced last week, but Henderson feared the workforce would struggle to deliver.
"This is a package that's come out for a year, so in a sense from a business continuity plan and workforce planning, there is a real issue around lack of sustainable funding here.
"Short-term and one-off funding makes it really hard to plan, develop the workforce, retain qualified and experienced people, and there is no spare workforce for us to tap into."
Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson said sustainability was lacking in the system well before the cyclone.
"We still actually have no plan for workforce development and for expanding the workforce across mental health in New Zealand. So that's the negative side, but on the positive side, we actually have an army of people in the community who help each other."
The community showing up for one another was a big part of the response in Hawke's Bay, and that would continue, Robinson said.
But it would not be enough for everyone.
The scars from natural disasters will linger, psychologists said. Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro
A Queenstown-based psychologist - and former Napier resident - advocated for group therapy as an efficient solution.
Dr Chris Neuenfeld brought together a team of about 60 volunteer counsellors and psychologists to run online group therapy workshops for more than 300 people following the cyclone, and planned to organise more.
The therapy was not about sharing experiences with others - participants did not know who else was in the workshop - rather, being guided through a worksheet by a professional with the ability to communicate with them via online chat.
Participants' post-traumatic stress and depression significantly improved following the sessions, he said.
Given the shortage of counsellors and psychologists in Aotearoa, Dr Neuenfeld said group therapy was a good option for helping people following a disaster like Cyclone Gabrielle.
"I do think that there has to be a rethinking about what therapy, in particular after a large-scale event like this, what therapy looks like.
"We've shown we can provide really effective therapy to groups of people, and ultimately it's sort of a numbers game, right?"
And the numbers are swelling. Te Whatu Ora said GP referrals for mental health support in Hawke's Bay have risen 30 percent since the cyclone.
Referrals also increased in Tai Rāwhiti - partly because the region's numbers included Wairoa, which was cut off from Hawke's Bay until State Highway 2 reopened on Sunday.
Reweti Ropiha. Photo: Supplied / LDR
Tai Rāwhiti iwi health provider Turanga Health chief executive Reweti Ropiha said a lot of patients' anxiety was due to the unknown.
"Assurance is probably the biggest thing that they're looking for, whether it's the housing or whether it's the work, or, you know all those things that before the cyclone you might have taken for granted.
"And now the reality check is most definitely hitting home."
But there's no indication yet on when some will be out of limbo, with the government yet to announce which properties can be rebuilt, and which land is too unsafe for people to return to.
In the meantime, both Ropiha and Henderson said it was important local providers were given the funding and leeway to support the communities they know best.
