title: Psychological impact of the Canterbury earthquakes on university staff.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of the Canterbury earthquakes on the psychological functioning of university staff, to identify predictors of adverse psychological functioning and to survey how different aspects of work roles (academic, teaching, clinical, administrative) were affected.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen months following the most severe earthquake, 119 staff from the University of Otago based in Christchurch completed a retrospective survey. This included demographic information, a measure of earthquake exposure, standardised and self-rated measures to identify psychological distress and measures of how people perceived different aspects of their work roles were impacted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A substantial minority of staff reported moderate-extreme difficulties on the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) subscales 18 months following the most severe earthquake (Depression=9%; Anxiety=3%; Stress =13%). Predictors of distress were higher levels of exposure to earthquake-related stressors, neuroticism and prior mental health disorders. There was an association between impact and work roles that was hierarchical; academic and administrative roles were most affected, followed by teaching with the least impact on clinical roles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that psychological symptoms following a disaster are common, but in a retrospective survey most people report that these improve with time. A minority however, continue to report difficulties which persist even 18 months post disaster. It also gives insights into how different work roles were impacted and from this makes suggestions for how organisations can support staff over difficult times.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, PO Box 4345, Christchurch, New Zealand. Caroline.Bell@otago.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boden
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ali
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology