2023 General Election statement

Imagine an Aotearoa where all tamariki were taught about mental health from a young age – how to cope with big feelings, how we can support each other, and what to do when times are tough. Our country would be transformed. To make this happen we must invest in whole-of-school-based holistic intervention approaches and programmes. This is supported by students and teachers and we know local mental wellbeing programmes make a difference, especially for tamariki Māori.

Every year, hundreds of people die by suicide. For every suicide, on average six people experience intense grief and 129 people are affected. It’s time to invest in sustainable, community-led suicide prevention initiatives that are safe and culturally responsive.

Resource and empower kaupapa Māori and community-led initiatives to better support whānau, increase access to holistic maternity care, and eliminate mental distress stigma and discrimination for parents and the associated fear of their child being taken away (a barrier to accessing support). Upskill all who work with parents and babies to recognise when parents are at risk of distress, identify what support they need, and move quickly to provide it.

Youth health services in schools, community and primary care settings are an important early intervention tool, but these integrated one-stop shops aren’t funded in a consistent, long-term way. Simple, sustainable funding models are needed across the motu to ensure tamariki and rangatahi can access their mental health, health and social services. Evaluations show one-stop-shops are good at engaging young people, particularly Māori, and make a difference for moderate cost.

Police responses can be traumatic, leading to the use of force and coercion, especially for Māori. Local and international alternative models using the health and peer workforce show better outcomes including reduced admission to emergency departments, and a reduction in the use of the Mental Health Act.

The national monitor found wait times for rangatahi to access specialist mental health services continue to be well below target. Even short wait times for support can have significant and long-lasting effects.

The number of people being treated for eating disorders has more than doubled over the past two years, specialist services have not had a proportional increase in funding, and there is evidence eating disorders have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Primary health providers lack training and support to identify people with eating disorders and refer them for treatment. Recommendations have been made for urgent expert care and subsidy assistance for young people with eating disorders.

Only half of the 100,000 people experiencing severe harm from alcohol and other drugs in New Zealand receive treatment. Wait times (particularly for rangatahi) have increased and despite investment, there has been no relative increase in workforce. Kaupapa Māori services and solutions remain limited and underfunded.

There is strong evidence that integrated employment supports in mental health services are effective at reaching people who experience the largest employment inequities. Integrated housing and mental health supports are effective and lead to cost savings.

Direct the Te Aho o Te Kahu/Cancer Control Agency to make people who access secondary mental health services a priority group and monitor and report on national outcomes. Consumers of mental health services are more likely to die from cancer, despite having a similar rate of cancer to the general population. 

Our Mental Health Act has not been comprehensively reviewed in the last 30 years and it does not appear to be supporting improved mental health outcomes or the wellbeing of individuals overall. The Act is used disproportionately against Māori.

Māori are significantly overrepresented in solitary confinement with reports of increases in seclusion of rangatahi. It is a serious intervention with no therapeutic benefit and potentially harmful effects on people experiencing mental illness and staff.