There are the obvious casualties from the Christchurch earthquakes - the ones that make the headlines - but the real health cost from living with continuous aftershocks is still largely unknown.
One group of people who do get a first-hand experience of a population under stress are the paramedics.
Every day they see the stress, the heart failure, respiratory troubles, the domestic violence - tired people who are basically worn out.
And when it all gets too much, they ring 111.
Natasha Utting goes on the road with a St John ambulance crew – watch the video.