Effectively addressing rising distress in rangatahi and young people
Te Hiringa Mahara is calling for greater investment in early intervention and secondary prevention for young people experiencing distress. New evidence shows timely, lower-cost support can stop distress escalating, lift wellbeing and ease pressure on an overstretched system.
The 2024/25 New Zealand Health Survey found 1 in 5 of 15–24-year-olds experienced high to very high psychological distress. Primary and specialist mental health and addiction services cannot meet need at this scale.
“We know that without easy-to-access support, early distress can lead to long lasting negative outcomes,” says Dr Ella Cullen, Te Hiringa Mahara Director of Wellbeing System Leadership and Insights.
“That’s why today we’re releasing an evidence brief on what works to support young people experiencing early signs of distress.”
“The review shows young people need a range of support options, and services work best when young people co-design them and lead the way. It also highlights the value of culturally appropriate approaches, and practical steps to make proven models easier to implement.”
“Critically, young people need to be involved from the start. Simply adapting adult services doesn’t meet the needs of young people.”
“Early intervention and secondary prevention are effective, scalable ways to support the mental health and wellbeing of young people, and reduce the need for more intensive services. The challenge now is making sure support is available for everyone who needs it.”
“Rangatahi and young people shouldn’t have to wait for crisis before they can access effective help,” says Dr Cullen.