Mental Health and Wellbeing Commssion report: System not working for Māori, young people

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission's chief executive Karen Osborne said, 'there remains much more to do to ensure that those needing a higher level of care get the support they need' in a report released this morning. Photo / 123RF

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission has sounded the alarm on gaps in treatment with a new report showing that while referrals to specialists for mental stress are down, the number of Kiwis suffering psychological distress is up.

The commission released its five-year report today, revealing that while some changes to the health system have been successful in expanding treatment access, the system was not working well for Māori or young people. And it raised concerns about the falling number of people accessing treatment.

The report covers addiction treatment and support as well as mental health.

The commission’s chief executive Karen Osborne said, “There remains much more to do to ensure that those needing a higher level of care get the support they need”.

Acute workforce shortages were putting pressure on specialist support and treatment services, the report said. It identified that vacancy rates for psychologists were 22 per cent and for psychiatrists, 19 per cent. The country also needed 188 more general practitioners, the report said.

Among four other recommendations, the commission said Health New Zealand should develop a mental health and addiction workforce plan to address capacity and workforce shortages. The recommendation came after the commission found staff vacancy rates had doubled since 2018.

Osborne said: “What we’re seeing is that under-pressure services have constraints on how many people they can see, with some people not meeting the threshold to access specialist services.

“Some people can get continued care with primary services but this isn’t available or appropriate for all. When people finally do see a service, often their level of need has become higher. It’s a vicious circle that we need to break,” she said.

The rate of people experiencing psychological distress has risen, rising from 8.3 per cent of people in 2018/19 to 11.9 per cent in 2022/23. Younger people, aged between 15 and 24, had the highest levels of psychological distress, the report said.

The commission identified that “the effect of inflation relative to income growth means the cost of living is having a substantial impact on people” with more households experiencing material hardship.

The report found Māori were accessing mental health and addiction treatment less, but Māori reported higher levels of psychological distress and substance abuse.

The report said: “Qualitative research shows high levels of frustration and disappointment [among Māori] after many failed attempts to access services. These experiences are reflected in our finding that Māori use of community specialist services has decreased.”

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.