Draft Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2026-2036

Our submission welcomes the development of a long-term Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy to maintain national focus and momentum on improving mental health, wellbeing and addiction outcomes across Aotearoa New Zealand. We support the Strategy’s emphasis on prevention and early intervention, youth mental health, workforce development, lived experience leadership, and building a more connected continuum of care.

However, we consider the draft Strategy underdeveloped in several critical areas. We are calling for stronger commitments to Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations and kaupapa Māori approaches, greater focus on primary prevention and the wider determinants of wellbeing, clearer governance and accountability mechanisms, and a more robust implementation, monitoring and evaluation framework.