A new mental health support service has been set up to assist people affected by the terror attack at Manchester Arena.
The Manchester Resilience Hub will offer professional help to those who are struggling to cope following the bomb on May 22.
It’s hoped that anyone who experienced the atrocity – from children in attendance at the concert to the emergency services who dealt with the immediate aftermath – will be able to access the service that’s hosted by the Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust.
The family of the 22 people who lost their lives are also being urged to seek support.
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Dr Alan Barrett, the consultant clinical psychologist and adult clinical lead for the hub, said: “The attack will have affected lots of people in some way or another, but most will find they recover naturally and don’t require any professional support.
“Reactions are likely to be strongest in those closest to the incident, who directly witnessed the aftermath and who were involved in the immediate care of those injured.”
The hub – which is working in partnership with other NHS and voluntary sector agencies – is also planning an emotional wellbeing screening.
This will involve reaching out to those affected at three-month intervals to identify which people still require additional support.
One of the initial stages will see individuals invited to fill out an online questionnaire in which they will be asked how they were involved in the incident.
Dr Barrett added: “It’s really important to continue to look after your health and wellbeing after a traumatic incident, which means getting rest, eating well, returning to your routine, and staying connected with others.”
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Manchester was shook to its core when a blast tore through the Arena following an Ariana Grande concert in May.
Greater Manchester Police quickly concluded that 22-year-old Salman Abedi was the suicide bomber behind the deadly explosion.
Last week, eight-year-old Saffie Roussos – the youngest person to lose their life in the attack – was laid to rest at Manchester Cathedral.
*If you have been directly affected by the Manchester Arena attack and would like some advice, you can email queries to [email protected]. You can also call 0333 009 5071 to speak to a member of the team between the hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Image courtesy of pdjohnson via flickr, with thanks.
