Health Minister David Clark has described a new report advocating for zero suicides by people receiving treatment in New Zealand mental health services as "incredibly challenging".
The report from the Mental Health Commission released today is urging the government to adopt a "zero tolerance for suicides in servies", and recommends an overall suicide reduction target of at least 10 per cent.
Health Minister David Clark said the bleak findings of the report were unsurprising, and given New Zealand's poor statistics with youth suicide, a total reduction in suicides for patients within the mental health system was ambitious.
"That would be incredibly challenging. Our suicide rate, for our young people is amongst the highest in the world," Dr Clark said.
"We need to tackle that and recommendation is something I will want the review itself to look at, the independent review.
"I don't want to preempt their findings but we need to look at all of the approaches that have been tried around the world and I think everyone accepts one suicide is one suicide too many."
The Mental Health Commissioner also set a broader target of a suicide reduction of 10 per cent in his report.
However, Dr Clark was unwilling to comment on how achievable this target was, preferring to leave any targets to the independent inquiry forthcoming on the report.
"Today I'm not going to get into a negotiation on this. I want to leave that to the independent inquiry," Dr Clark said.
"They are independent, so they can make hard recommendations to the government.
"We've set it up that way, and the government I'm sure will find some of those recommendations challenging, that's the whole point of an independent inquiry.
"We want the best advice and we will make decisions from there."
The mental health inquiry Dr Clark referred to is expected to return in October this year.
Where can I get support and help?
Need to talk? 1737 – Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor
Lifeline – 0800 543 354
Youthline - 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
Samaritans – 0800 726 666
Healthline – 0800 611 116
Depression helpline: 0800 111 757 or free text 4202 or www.depression.org.nz
The Lowdown: A website to help young New Zealanders recognise and understand depression or anxiety. www.thelowdown.co.nz or free text 5626
SPARX.org.nz – Online e-therapy tool provided by the University of Auckland that helps young people learn skills to deal with feeling down, depressed or stressed
OUTLine NZ – 0800 688 5463 for support related to sexual orientation or gender identity
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