Young miss out on long-term residential care

Monika Menartowicz. Photo / Supplied

Auckland District Health Board has no long-term residential facilities that treat teenagers with mental health issues like Monika Menartowicz's, it says.

The board's mental health services director, Dr Clive Bensemann, said Monika Menartowicz's death was tragic, but he could not comment on specific details as the matter was before the coroner.

"This must be an immensely painful time for the Menartowicz family and we offer them our deepest sympathy for their loss," he said.

The board was reviewing the events leading up to Monika's death and had offered her parents the opportunity to contribute questions to the review.

Bensemann said there were no long-term residential facilities run by the board that provided treatment for young people with mental health issues like Monika. But there were facilities to

support community treatment, such as short-term respite placements, respite in the home, respite admission to Starship's Child and Family Unit, and the youth transitional day programme.

"Admissions to CFU range from brief to stays of up to a year or more. Discharge is dependent on the ability of local services to provide the level of care needed for that young person, and for the young person to benefit from continued inpatient care."

Treatment plans for young people with mental health issues were based on assessment involving interviews with the patient, their parents and other healthcare providers.

"We often work with families and parents who are stressed or distressed by a young person's mental health problems or behaviours, and would always seek ways to support caregivers so that they are best able to provide good support and care for a young person."

Most mental health treatment took place in the community, with more intensive input available from residential placements when required.

Young people with affective instability, including self-harm behaviours, were generally treated successfully in the community, with inpatient back-up.

"There is evidence to indicate that community treatment is generally superior to long-term inpatient treatment for such young people."

Jonathan Coleman, the Associate Health Minister, declined to comment on Monika's death while there was a coroner's inquiry and other reviews pending.

Dr Charles Hornabrook, Ministry of Health Deputy Director of Mental Health, said mental health and alcohol and other drug services for the young were less well developed than for adults. Mental health service for young people had more than doubled in the past decade, he said, and improving aid for their mental wellbeing was a Government priority.