By Dr Melanie Henwood (OBE, Associate Consultant at the Institute of Public Care, Oxford Brookes University)
Barely a day passes without national or international news of some natural disaster, major accident or terrorist incident causing fatalities and life changing consequences for survivors. From the recurrent mass shootings and murder of multiple school children in the US, to a car being deliberately driven into a crowd in Berlin, or earthquakes, tsunami, and famine devastating communities, particularly in the developing world. There are also frequent anniversaries of major incidents, in the UK alone there are regular reminders of such events as the terrorist attack at Fishmongers’ Hall (29 November 2019); the Manchester Arena bombing at the Ariana Grande concert (22 May 2017), the London Bridge and Borough Market terrorist attacks (3 June 2017), the Grenfell Tower fire (14 June 2017), and the July 7th terrorist bombings in London in 2005. For people involved in such events, whether as survivors, bereaved families, or emergency responders, each anniversary risks retraumatising and revisiting unresolved issues and grief.
