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Published: 20 May, 2022

move in the right direction towards addressing issues raised in our recent Te Huringa report and transforming the system toward the vision of He Ara Oranga. The focus of this investment is aligned with the voices of Māori and tāngata whaiora (people with lived experience of distress and addiction

Published: January 2026

address this. We are particularly concerned that: Rangatahi Māori and young people experience the highest rates of mental distress of any age group – and report the highest rate of unmet need for health services and barriers to access services.  Young people continue to experience longer wait

Published: January 2026

For any questions or feedback about Te Hiringa Mahara - Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, you can contact us at kiaora@mhwc.govt.nz . Our postal address is: Te Hiringa Mahara, DX Box SP22502, Wellington. For media queries, contact  media@mhwc.govt.nz  or call 021 613 723. For

Published: November 2025

potential in Pacific communities, Pacific knowledge, and Pacific ways of providing wellbeing is unlocked. Pacific communities are already implementing local solutions, often alongside government, to address many of the interrelated barriers to wellbeing, but support and resources are needed to address the barriers to wellbeing they face. 

Published: 20 April, 2026

persistent inequities for Māori and Pacific peoples that must be addressed. “We need to see a shift in the system to ensure human rights are upheld in practice. A new Mental Health Act is needed to support the reduction and ultimately the end of seclusion and enable clear pathways for safe and

Published: 15 April, 2026

and for those communities.  “We also need to see stronger action to address the underlying drivers of mental distress, particularly for young people, where demand and unmet need continue to grow. To support meaningful engagement, Te Hiringa Mahara has released advice to help New Zealanders make

Published: 18 February, 2025

Government and health agencies to accelerate improvement in a range of critical areas. This included a call for Health NZ to develop a mental health and addiction workforce plan to address service capacity and workforce shortages by June 2025. “We will be keeping a close watch on access and will

Published: December 2025

. Having a plan to grow the workforce and address workforce shortages, improve prevalence information, and create better data systems will provide a solid foundation for enabling system changes that are most effective in improving access and addressing gaps to mental health and addiction services.   &nbsp

Published: 17 May, 2023

. “Young people have told us they want to see a wider range of options to address youth distress across Aotearoa. This includes more age-appropriate community-based services and alternatives to hospital based inpatient mental health care; kaupapa Māori options to meet the needs of rangatahi Māori; and

Published: November 2023

Te Hiringa Mahara is part of the New Zealand public sector and must meet its obligations under the Official Information Act 1982 (the OIA). OIA requests can be addressed to us via kiaora@mhwc.govt.nz . Our policy is to proactively publish OIA responses that may be of interest to the wider public