Search

Published: 13 December, 2023

New Zealand’s first Minister for Mental Health, Matt Doocey, has a big job ahead of him. Te Hiringa Mahara | Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission chair Hayden Wano outlines our top priorities to transform our mental health and addiction system.  The announcement that New Zealand will have

Published: May 2026

with the rest of the population. We do this to understand inequities in outcomes for people who interact with mental health and addiction services. In 2025, we reported on the inequity for people who interact with mental health services, and those who interact with specialist mental health services in

Published: 22 March, 2022

more is needed to address pressures on specialist services, particularly for young people. “The current health reforms, and the newly-created Health NZ and the Māori Health Authority, provide opportunities to embed strong leadership in their operating models and enhance the focus on mental health and

Published: 22 May, 2026

and natural world as central to their wellbeing, identity, and sense of connection. Aotearoa has already seen the impact of significant, climate-charged weather events in recent years, months, and even weeks. Those experiences do not end when the immediate emergency is over. They can leave lasting

Published: 24 September, 2021

-appropriate acute care for when people do become unwell. These services and solutions give us choice as to how we are cared for and supported.” The Commission believes there is a need to look at new and different ways of how people are cared for in inpatient settings to improve how existing bed capacity is

Published: March 2026

paper. The paper documents the discussion which answered two provocative questions: What does the primary care landscape need to look like? How do we get there? This discussion followed the release in April 2025 of our final monitoring report on the Access and Choice programme. During development of

Published: 3 April, 2025

documents progress establishing the programme, with recommendations on how to ensure it reaches its full potential. “The introduction of the Access and Choice programme has filled gap in support and has substantially increased access for people seeking help for mild to moderate mental health

Published: 28 May, 2026

work well for Māori, young people or those living rurally in particular. This is unlikely to change without investment. "Last November we welcomed the additional funding announced by Minister Doocey for expansion of crisis cafes, crisis assessment teams and peer-led acute alternatives. This was a

Published: July 2024

their family’s wellbeing highly (7) The proportion of 15 to 24-year-olds who say it would be easy or very easy to talk to someone if they felt down or a bit depressed GSS Being connected and valued The proportion of 15 to 24-year-olds who think it is easy to be themselves in Aotearoa GSS Having hope

Published: 30 November, 2022

allocated to the priority initiative in the 2019 Wellbeing Budget. “We are past the halfway point of the programme, and now is a good time to pause and reflect on whether the investment into community and primary care is paying the dividends identified in He Ara Oranga ,” says Te Hiringa Mahara Chair