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Published: 13 December, 2022

Older people have contributed greatly to their communities through the COVID-19 pandemic whilst managing increased loneliness and a range of other challenges. This is according to today’s Te Hiringa Mahara – the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission report  ​ The impact of COVID-19 on the

Published: 8 June, 2022

We welcome the transformational approach taken in the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Bill, which passed its third reading yesterday. The Commission’s Chair Hayden Wano says the Government now has the means to ensure better mental health and wellbeing outcomes for future generations. “It is very good to

Published: 24 July, 2024

whakamamae   - to ensure we shall never forget the abuse and harm inflicted upon them, upon you. This time is for the people who have experienced abuse and harm when they were in care and for recognising the lifelong after effects this has caused.  This report is important not only for

Published: 9 March, 2023

During the 2020 national lockdown, reports of family violence increased considerably, but the New Zealand Police and advocacy groups were concerned that this was still under-reported. Women, children, rangatahi Māori, disabled people and rainbow youth were particularly affected. This is according

Published: 3 April, 2025

, addiction and wellbeing issues. The programme is a good investment, but efforts to reach more people need to be intensified,” said Karen Orsborn, Chief Executive Officer. During 2023-24, over 207,000 people have accessed support, with over 1.6 million sessions completed across the country since

Published: 27 October, 2022

services. “As the Commission notes, the arrival of the Omicron variant has exposed long-standing, fundamental weaknesses in our health system. There is little capacity in the mental health system to cope with shocks, there are entrenched inequities in access to services and better outcomes experienced by

Published: February 2026

greatest extent possible. We submitted on the Mental Health Bill, introduced into Parliament in October 2024. Download and read our full submission on the Mental Health Bill (2024) (PDF 284KB)       Summary of our submission on the Mental Health Bill This Mental Health Bill is a step

Published: 25 February, 2026

Te Hiringa Mahara is calling for increased urgency to improve access to specialist mental health and addiction services for young people after new analysis shows a continued reduction in the number of young people accessing services.   Despite 15-to-24 year-olds reporting increasing levels of

Published: 28 October, 2021

wellbeing systems in Aotearoa,” says Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Board chair Hayden Wano. “Our role is to be the eyes and ears of the people of New Zealand, amplifying the voices of our communities. We bring focus to areas where meaningful action can be taken. Appropriate access to and choice

Published: January 2026

, income adequacy, experience of discrimination, educational achievement, access to services and levels of psychological distress. We did this assessment to feed into policy and system responses to promote mental health and wellbeing for young people and rangatahi Māori in Aotearoa. The aim is to promote