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Published: January 2026

  We are advocating for change from a coercive to a choice-based mental health system. The changes we are calling for can be made now. Repeal and replace the Mental Health Act New legislation must be co-designed with people with lived experience of compulsory treatment, uphold Te Tiriti o

Published: January 2026

a choice based mental health system. More kaupapa Māori services Learn about our call for equitable funding of kaupapa Māori mental health and addiction services. Improve wellbeing for rangatahi and young people Learn about how we can support rangatahi and young people. International relationships

Published: February 2026

In February 2026 we published a data summary that looks at access to specialist mental health, substance use and addiction services (see link below). We have also published relevant population level findings on mental health and substance use from the NZ Health Survey 2024/2025 . Monitoring work

Published: 13 December, 2023

to meet the needs of rangatahi and young people, deliver services that work for Māori, and  ensure anyone experiencing severe mental illness able to access care they need while having their right to choice respected.   It is alarming that rates of psychological distress among our

Published: 18 February, 2025

Data released today by Te Hiringa Mahara – Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission shows that fewer people accessed specialist mental health and addiction services in the year from July 2023 to June 2024 than in previous years. Recently available data shows a decrease of over 3,000 fewer people than

Published: 23 May, 2024

access to education opportunities, appropriate housing, and adequate incomes,” said report lead Dr Ella Cullen, Te Hiringa Mahara Director Wellbeing System Leadership and Insights. “We know that improved mental health and wellbeing for people is driven by things that are out of their control. One

Published: 30 June, 2022

, psychiatric diagnosis, addiction, using mental health or addiction supports or services, or experience of barriers to accessing these support and services when they are needed. Lived experience relates to how people self-identify, and share their identity with others, so it is not our role to

Published: 22 March, 2022

wellbeing.  This also creates an opportunity to hear the voices of Māori and people with lived experience and provide a greater choice of supports.” To transform the system toward the vision of He Ara Oranga , the Commission in its role of kaitiaki (guardian) of mental health and wellbeing

Published: 1 November, 2023

A big thank you to everyone who gave us feedback on their journey accessing mental health and addiction services. We received over 300 responses through the data collection that we ran in November. This is now closed. We wanted to hear from people seeking help with mental distress or addiction: If

Published: 25 February, 2026

This new data summary provides updated data on access and trends for mental health and addiction services in Aotearoa New Zealand. In most cases, the summary reports on data over the five-year period to June 2025.    We present measures from across the Access and Options domain of our He