Natural disasters are taking their toll on the mental health of Christchurch residents.

Mental Health expert in Christchurch Sue Ricketts told Bernadine Oliver-Kerby first it was the earthquakes and now this fire.

She said it's children who are most affected.

"They're the ones who have gone through some quite difficult times where come life has come and been very unpredictable for them. Although they got through the earthquake and all the rest of it, now this has happened.

"What can often happen, particularly with children who are predisposed with anxiety, is that it pushes the threshold of anxiety up it doesn't take too trigger anxiety again."