Bushfire trauma lingers in Victoria
Bushfire trauma lingers in Victoria
09 April 2012
published by www.abc.net.au
Australia — People are still suffering from serious mental health problems as a result of the Black Saturday bushfires more than three years ago.
Researchers at the University of Melbourne will survey 3,000 Victorians over the next five years to try to determine how best to treat ongoing trauma from the fires.
Reverend Tracey Wolsley still runs a bushfire recovery centre at Bendigo and is taking part in the research.
“When you go through a grief even years after events, does anybody know inside how hurting I am, or how alone you feel, and on the outside you can appear to be absolutely fine,” she said.
“But I used to liken it to a foggy window.
“You’ve just go to do one little smear with your finger and see on the other side it’s a little bit of a different story, and we live with that.”
