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Published: 4 November, 2025

shows that current crisis services are hard to navigate, fragmented and patchy, and people don’t always get the help they need.  A robust crisis response approach is at the heart of an effective mental health and addiction system and getting that right, will have ripple effects on other parts of the

Published: 10 July, 2023

Orders report documents how tāngata whaiora, whānau and family, and Māori feel marginalised in processes that determine what treatment they receive.  “The use of compulsory community treatment orders is a practice from mental health that is out of step with human rights and current approaches to

Published: 28 May, 2026

Te Hiringa Mahara - Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is disappointed to see no new explicit investment into mental health and addiction services in today's budget. Of particular concern is the lack of funding for specialist services, where too many people are already waiting far too long to

Published: 25 March, 2026

Following the release of the Government’s latest targets data this morning, Te Hiringa Mahara – Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission is renewing its calls for increased urgency to improve access to services for young people. “While we are encouraged by workforce growth and acknowledge the

Published: 7 August, 2025

In July 2025 the Commission began operating under a refreshed organisational strategy that sets out how we work and what we will deliver over the next four years. Our approach is documented in our 2025-2029 Statement of Intent and 2025/26 Statement of Performance Expectations, along with a new

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

them. This is the heart of our call to action. Rangatahi Māori and young people must have a seat at every decision-making table where they can shape their own futures and their voices and perspectives are heard. This report also shows: Climate change is consistently raised by young people as a

Published: 30 September, 2024

New Zealand is a step closer to getting accurate information about the level of mental health need in the community. Matt Doocey, Minister for Mental Health, announced on 26 September that the Government will fund the first Child and Youth Mental Health and Addiction Prevalence survey. This is in

Published: 14 February, 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has added additional stress to the rural community, which itself faces different wellbeing challenges to those of urban Aotearoa. This is according to today’s Te Hiringa Mahara – the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission report,  The impact of COVID-19 on the wellbeing

Published: April 2026

This dashboard pulls together data about many aspects of New Zealand’s mental health and addiction services. This includes a wide range of measures covering primary and specialist services, including community and inpatient services. The dashboard is available for use by anyone interested in