Two new studies have found that people affected by the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack showed improvement in mental health after engaging with dedicated support services.
Led and funded by researchers at The University of Manchester and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration Greater Manchester (ARC-GM), and NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). The papers, published in The British Journal of Psychiatry, examined adults and young people who accessed the Greater Manchester Resilience Hub, which was established to coordinate psychological support following the attack.
The attack on 22nd May 2017 killed 22 people and around 19,500 people were present at the Arena, including concert-goers, staff, parents and emergency responders.
Adult study: timely help seeking is linked to lower levels of mental distress
The first paper analysed data from 2,627 adults who registered with the Resilience Hub during the three years after the attack. Researchers examined screening results for symptoms of trauma, depression, anxiety and problems with social or work functioning. Participants were grouped according to when they first registered-from three months to more than three years after the attack-and followed over time.
Those who sought help earlier were less symptomatic when they first contacted the Hub. People who waited longer to register tended to have higher levels of distress, depression and anxiety, but all groups showed improvement in mental health over time. Later registrants improved at a slightly faster rate once they engaged with support.
The analysis also showed that individuals who had more contact time with Hub staff, through assessments, therapy sessions or group workshops, tended to experience greater reductions in depression and anxiety scores.
Researchers concluded that early and sustained engagement with mental health support services can be beneficial after a traumatic event. They also found that even those who delayed seeking help experienced improvement once they accessed care.
Dr Louise Hussey, lead author and Research Fellow at the University of Manchester said:
"These papers explore how the Resilience Hub supported people affected by the 2017 traumatic event. They add to existing evidence showing the benefits of providing timely mental health support after major incidents. The research also offers valuable insight into how the Hub was developed as a rapid and ongoing response to urgent needs. This work is helping to inform future service planning and provision, with the aim of improving outcomes for those affected by similar events."
Sister paper: impact on children and adolescents
A companion study, "Has mental health changed in children and adolescents registered with a dedicated support service responding to the Manchester Arena attack: 3-year follow-up," examined similar data from younger registrants of the Hub. It explored how symptoms changed over time among children and adolescents affected by the attack, including those present at the Arena and those indirectly affected through family members. Researchers also looked at some of the children and adolescence mental health screening scores in relation to those provided by their parents/guardians. Parents/guardians with a higher level of mental distress were observed to assign higher anxiety scores to their child or adolescent in relation to the score reported by the young person themselves. This showed that parental wellbeing was associated with child's mental distress indicating shared family trauma should be considered when planning care.
Together, the two studies provide a detailed picture of the psychological impact of the Manchester Arena attack and the long-term value of proactive, coordinated mental health support.
Wider lessons
The authors note that the findings reinforce the importance of early outreach and accessible psychological services following mass trauma events. We recommend that future emergency response planning should include systems for early identification, regular follow-up and data collection to support ongoing evaluation.
