Psychologists at the University of Ulster, in association with the Omagh-based Northern Ireland Centre for Trauma and Transformation (NICTT), are about to investigate the prevalence of post traumatic stress disorder in Northern Ireland.
The study will look at how individuals across Northern Ireland have been traumatically affected by civil conflict and violence with the aim to enable health professionals provide the best help and treatment for people affected by violence.
"We are already involved in a detailed study into all aspects of mental health, as part of a World Mental Health Organisation programme which is being conducted in some 28 countries," says Prof Brendan Bunting, school of psychology at the University of Ulster.
However, this new collaboration with the NICTT will involve going back over 5,000 interviews to look specifically for symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and examine how people dealt with these symptoms.
When people experience a terrifying event or ordeal where their physical being is threatened or they are actually harmed, it can result in psychological trauma. This can include vivid and distressing recollections of the experience in the form of flashbacks, nightmares or frightening thoughts. Other symptoms include emotional numbness, sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety, intense anger or guilt. The trauma can also result in alcohol abuse or dependence, panic attacks and agoraphobia.
Around 3,700 people have been killed and 55,000 injured in some 35 years of conflict in Northern Ireland.
The scale of the wider mental health impacts are not known although those working to support individuals and families affected by The Troubles have found many have suffered mental health and psychological trauma as a result of the violence.
Sylvia Thompson