SURVEY TO DETERMINE EFFECTS OF OMAGH BOMB ON LOCAL COMMUNITY
Survey to determine effects of Omagh bomb on local community
SPERRIN Lakeland Health and Social Care Trust is to survey the entire adult population of the Omagh District Council district to measure the effects of the town centre bombing of August 15 last. Explanatory leaflets have been dropping through letterboxes in the area this week, and they will be followed by a Community Study questionnaire, which goes into circulation on Monday.
In a statement issued to coincide with the leaflet promotion, the Trust assured householders that information provided by respondents would remain "strictly confidential to the professional organisation that is distributing the questionnaires for the research team".
The statement goes on: "The findings of the study will be in a form of overview of the responses provided, and will not include personal information. The Trust will make available a summary of the findings through the local press.
"It will also include with the questionnaire information on where the [bomb] bereaved, injured or distressed can access help and support."
A spokeswoman for the Trust told the 'Constitution' on Tuesday that 15,000 homes had been targeted for the initial leaflet drop, and that a number of local organisations and individuals had been given written notification of the intention to carry out the survey.
And Mr. David Bolton, the Trust's director of community care, who announced the study at Thursday's meeting of the Trust Board at Omagh's Tyrone County hospital disclosed that children would be involved in a proposed follow up exercise.
Mr. Bolton said many people, especially young people, were still suffering greatly on a day by day basis in the wake of the Omagh atrocity, and he revealed that the ages of those who had been seen his 19-strong trauma team ranged from two to 74.
"At this moment 92 of the 271 persons being counselled by the team are under 18, but the actual figure is in excess of 100 when those being seen by the Trust's Child and Adolescent Team are added in," Mr. Bolton told Board members.
The director said, in all, there had been a total of 350 referrals to the trauma team, now working from The Bridge Centre at Holmview Terrace in the town, but that 79 of those cases had been closed.
However, he explained, there were a number of families which did not want to involve the team, while each family that did was recorded as a single entity, although there might be more than one member of the family needing and receiving help.
And he warned: "The male/female ratio of referrals, 115/235 is very typical, but, although men are more capable of coping they are also more reluctant to seek help. I would encourage them to do so."
Mr. Bolton said it was significant that almost half the 350 referrals had been made personally (99) or by relatives (64).
Additionally, he disclosed that WAVE had received 52 referrals, Victim Support 346, and TARA 45, while the local branch of the Samaritans had reported a 25 per cent increase in calls over Christmas.
'Very difficult'
He added: "Media interest was intensive over Christmas, and things were very difficult for people in the run-up to it. They told us it was something they wanted to get out of the way, so they could get on with the New Year."
Giving a breakdown of the trauma team's work in the two months to December 25, Mr. Bolton said there had been 175 contacts with bereaved families. There had also been 262 home visits, 372 individual therapy sessions, 19 group sessions involving up to five people at a time, 10 closures, and 17 requests for financial assistance.
And he unveiled the effects of one of the series of bomb hoaxes in the aftermath of the Omagh bombing: "Six is the normal evening Samaritan caseload, but on one evening following a bomb scare in the town they had 60 calls."
Describing the range of mental anguish, which had contributed to the idea for the current survey, he divulged details, too, of a sample 310 referrals.
Ninety-five were witness bystanders, 18 witness/rescuers, 20 were bereaved, three emergency personnel, and 21 had been traumatised by proxy, while the promoting causes of 30 others were not known.
The proxy trauma, explained the director, related to people who were not at the Market Street scene, but who had, perhaps, spent long periods of time searching for relatives. The remaining 123 sampled had suffered serious physical injury (64) or mild/moderate physical injury (59).
Launching the 'Community Study To Determine Local Need', Mr. Bolton said: "We are already aware the bombing has had a significant impact on the community. We feel, however, that it is important we hear from everyone about the impact on them and their families.
"By participating in this study, people living in the Omagh district will be able to help the Trust establish the level of need arising from the bombing. This will help us plan our services.
"We also hope the findings will be able to assist other communities, which may, in the future, experience tragedy, and others who have been affected by violence in the past."
The Trust spokeswoman announced that the Trust had united with Oxford University, which had experience in carrying out large-scale studies, to carry out the survey. She said it would assist draw together results, and had provided a research grant to help underwrite the costs.
"Dr. Kate Gillespie, consultant psychiatrist with the Trust, will be working closely with Professor David Clark, who will provide a report of the study's findings to the Trust," the spokeswoman went on. Referring to the questionnaire, due to be delivered to each household in the local council's 21 electoral wards, Dr. Gillespie appealed for public co-operation.
She said: "We would encourage everyone who receives one to respond, even if they felt they were not presently unduly distressed by the atrocity. Everyone's views will be important in building a picture of the impact of the bombing, and will help us shape our services."
Dr. Gillespie said a follow-up questionnaire was likely to be issued, after a suitable period of time to allow for community change, had elapsed.
"We will ask respondents [to the initial questionnaire] to indicate if they are willing to participate in a future study," she added.
Anyone requiring advice or support for themselves or their family can contact the Bridge Centre at 5A Holmview Terrace, Omagh, telephone (01662) 252599.
SPERRIN Lakeland Health and Social Care Trust is to survey the entire adult population of the Omagh District Council district to measure the effects of the town centre bombing of August 15 last. Explanatory leaflets have been dropping through letterboxes in the area this week, and they will be followed by a Community Study questionnaire, which goes into circulation on Monday.
In a statement issued to coincide with the leaflet promotion, the Trust assured householders that information provided by respondents would remain "strictly confidential to the professional organisation that is distributing the questionnaires for the research team".
The statement goes on: "The findings of the study will be in a form of overview of the responses provided, and will not include personal information. The Trust will make available a summary of the findings through the local press.
"It will also include with the questionnaire information on where the [bomb] bereaved, injured or distressed can access help and support."
A spokeswoman for the Trust told the 'Constitution' on Tuesday that 15,000 homes had been targeted for the initial leaflet drop, and that a number of local organisations and individuals had been given written notification of the intention to carry out the survey.
And Mr. David Bolton, the Trust's director of community care, who announced the study at Thursday's meeting of the Trust Board at Omagh's Tyrone County hospital disclosed that children would be involved in a proposed follow up exercise.
Mr. Bolton said many people, especially young people, were still suffering greatly on a day by day basis in the wake of the Omagh atrocity, and he revealed that the ages of those who had been seen his 19-strong trauma team ranged from two to 74.
"At this moment 92 of the 271 persons being counselled by the team are under 18, but the actual figure is in excess of 100 when those being seen by the Trust's Child and Adolescent Team are added in," Mr. Bolton told Board members.
The director said, in all, there had been a total of 350 referrals to the trauma team, now working from The Bridge Centre at Holmview Terrace in the town, but that 79 of those cases had been closed.
However, he explained, there were a number of families which did not want to involve the team, while each family that did was recorded as a single entity, although there might be more than one member of the family needing and receiving help.
And he warned: "The male/female ratio of referrals, 115/235 is very typical, but, although men are more capable of coping they are also more reluctant to seek help. I would encourage them to do so."
Mr. Bolton said it was significant that almost half the 350 referrals had been made personally (99) or by relatives (64).
Additionally, he disclosed that WAVE had received 52 referrals, Victim Support 346, and TARA 45, while the local branch of the Samaritans had reported a 25 per cent increase in calls over Christmas.
'Very difficult'
He added: "Media interest was intensive over Christmas, and things were very difficult for people in the run-up to it. They told us it was something they wanted to get out of the way, so they could get on with the New Year."
Giving a breakdown of the trauma team's work in the two months to December 25, Mr. Bolton said there had been 175 contacts with bereaved families. There had also been 262 home visits, 372 individual therapy sessions, 19 group sessions involving up to five people at a time, 10 closures, and 17 requests for financial assistance.
And he unveiled the effects of one of the series of bomb hoaxes in the aftermath of the Omagh bombing: "Six is the normal evening Samaritan caseload, but on one evening following a bomb scare in the town they had 60 calls."
Describing the range of mental anguish, which had contributed to the idea for the current survey, he divulged details, too, of a sample 310 referrals.
Ninety-five were witness bystanders, 18 witness/rescuers, 20 were bereaved, three emergency personnel, and 21 had been traumatised by proxy, while the promoting causes of 30 others were not known.
The proxy trauma, explained the director, related to people who were not at the Market Street scene, but who had, perhaps, spent long periods of time searching for relatives. The remaining 123 sampled had suffered serious physical injury (64) or mild/moderate physical injury (59).
Launching the 'Community Study To Determine Local Need', Mr. Bolton said: "We are already aware the bombing has had a significant impact on the community. We feel, however, that it is important we hear from everyone about the impact on them and their families.
"By participating in this study, people living in the Omagh district will be able to help the Trust establish the level of need arising from the bombing. This will help us plan our services.
"We also hope the findings will be able to assist other communities, which may, in the future, experience tragedy, and others who have been affected by violence in the past."
The Trust spokeswoman announced that the Trust had united with Oxford University, which had experience in carrying out large-scale studies, to carry out the survey. She said it would assist draw together results, and had provided a research grant to help underwrite the costs.
"Dr. Kate Gillespie, consultant psychiatrist with the Trust, will be working closely with Professor David Clark, who will provide a report of the study's findings to the Trust," the spokeswoman went on. Referring to the questionnaire, due to be delivered to each household in the local council's 21 electoral wards, Dr. Gillespie appealed for public co-operation.
She said: "We would encourage everyone who receives one to respond, even if they felt they were not presently unduly distressed by the atrocity. Everyone's views will be important in building a picture of the impact of the bombing, and will help us shape our services."
Dr. Gillespie said a follow-up questionnaire was likely to be issued, after a suitable period of time to allow for community change, had elapsed.
"We will ask respondents [to the initial questionnaire] to indicate if they are willing to participate in a future study," she added.
Anyone requiring advice or support for themselves or their family can contact the Bridge Centre at 5A Holmview Terrace, Omagh, telephone (01662) 252599.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1308
Published Date: 04-Feb-99
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