Former chief science advisor to the prime minister, Peter Gluckman says New Zealand could see a huge increase in mental health issues in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Appearing before the epidemic response committee this morning, Gluckman said New Zealand was "not yet at the peak" of the lockdown'ssocial impact – with some groups likely to be more affected than others.
Gluckman, a director with independent and apolitical think tank Koi Tu at the University of Auckland, said while it wasn't possible to predict the direction of the virus, the important thing was how the country responded.
However, the implications of economic harm could see "tens of thousands" of people with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues, he said.
He said disasters such as the Christchurch earthquakes had shown that stress, in particular stress caused by unemployment, could have a very real impact on mental well-being and greater risk of non-communicable diseases.
"People were uncertain, scared and angry and we know from other disasters that many others will progress to depression and ultimately, to suicide."
He said the more the country can ameliorate the effects of the downturn, particularly in terms of reducing unemployment and is able to turn to "positivity" the less long term chronic ill health we will have.
A new vulnerable
"There are already lots of people who are very vulnerable. But there are also the 'new vulnerable', for example airline pilots and travel agents who've been in the job a long time but who no longer have that role."
Gluckman said while these people will suppress their feelings, the mental distress would potentially emerge if they "don't find a way out" and the extent to which New Zealand can determine its own economic destiny will dictate that.
"Our success to date must be applauded, but the cost to businesses and society are real and this presents challenges."
Gluckman said government also needed to be more open in terms of access to information, as there was a level of frustration amongst those who weren't in the "inner loop" as to access to traceability or to medical data.
"That leads to destabilising information and much more that could be in the public domain to provide certainty about our direction."
