Children who survived the Tai Po blaze are still struggling. Sounds of alarms or sudden noises startle them. They also have painful memories.
The blaze broke out at Wang Fuk Court on November 26 last year. It raged for 43 hours. It killed 168 people and displaced nearly 5,000 residents.
Affected residents are finding ways to cope.
Save the Children Hong Kong is working with a research team from Hong Kong Shue Yan University. Together, they have provided interventions to 153 affected children. These sessions include play therapy and expressive arts therapy.
In play therapy, staff guide pupils through games to express their feelings, lessen anxiety and rebuild a sense of security.
Expressive arts therapy uses media such as drawing and music to help pupils express emotions and build resilience.
A study looked at 51 children who took part in play therapy and 23 who joined expressive arts therapy. It found that their anxiety levels fell by 85.7 per cent after play therapy.
Post-traumatic stress symptoms fell by 31.1 per cent among children who took part in play therapy and by 61.2 per cent among pupils who took part in expressive arts therapy.
