Truly making a difference to New Zealanders’ mental health means addressing factors that go far beyond the health system’s remit. There’s a plan ready to go, writes Shaun Robinson of the Mental Health Foundation, and the next government must put it into action. “I need help.” That’s how many of the emails, Facebook messages and … Read more
The government’s response to the mental health inquiry accepted 38 of its 40 recommendations – but opted against the introduction of a suicide reduction target. There’s a good reason for that, writes Kyle MacDonald. Does the idea of losing 534 people to suicide in New Zealand feel better than losing 668? Does it feel like success to … Read more
Yesterday the government announced it would take up almost all the recommendations of the Mental Health Inquiry. But where were the voices of those with lived experience of the mental health system? Here Scout, Emma and Lisa* fill the void. As young people from Dunedin with mental illness diagnoses on the more… complicated side, it’s … Read more
The government has accepted the vast majority of the recommendations made by the mental health and addiction inquiry report. But which ones will actually see immediate action? Alex Braae reports. Out of 40 recommendations made to the government by the long-running mental health and addiction inquiry, 38 have been either accepted, or accepted in principle. … Read more
Thousands of views were taken in, meetings were held up and down the country, experts were questioned, and it all fed into a massive report on the state of our mental health system. So what does the report say we need to do? Read more about the mental health inquiry with our edited extract from … Read more
A hugely important report seeks to effect a ‘paradigm change’ in NZ mental health services. Here are the essential findings and recommendations. The Minister of Health today released He Ara Oranga (Pathways to Wellness): the Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction, a publication which followed a series of meetings nationwide by … Read more
The government’s inquiry into mental health and addiction, announced in January, travels to Whanganui this week, home of the mental health worker who changed Jason Renes’ life. Content warning: suicide, self-harm, depression. After the third time I self-harmed I told my mother I was hurting myself and I needed help to stop. She set up … Read more
‘Mental disorders’ rank as the third-leading cause of health loss for New Zealanders. Kyle MacDonald makes the case for universal, free counselling for all. What if I told you that one of the biggest and most expensive health problems in New Zealand was not only being ignored, but although we had the technology to treat … Read more
Has the government been too keen to go for working groups, panels and inquiries, over actual action? Alex Braae counts the announcements. As new ministers get their feet under their desks, they start to cast around for things to do. All of a sudden they have access to the comparatively vast resources of the public … Read more
For too long mental health has had awareness campaigns sprinkled out while government action remained pretty much non-existent. Will the mental health and addictions inquiry be another plaster? We need to talk about suicide: this is the phrase you’ll routinely hear in discussions about New Zealand’s mental health crisis. Often it comes alongside well-meaning campaigns … Read more