Q+A panel: New Zealand's mental health system should not be a 'political football'

Sitting as one of the Government's top priorities, mental health is expected to receive a boost at the 2019 Budget this week, just a day after the response to the Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry report is revealed. 

In December, the report found that New Zealand's mental health system does not respond adequately to people in serious distress, the approach to suicide is "patchy and under-resourced" and teachers and school counsellors are overwhelmed by the number of students in distress.

While participating on a panel for TVNZ1's Q+A programme, psychotherapist Kyle MacDonald and Ezekiel Raui from Te Rau Ora, a Māori mental health organisation, spoke about their expectations ahead of the Government's response announcement.

Mr Raui said the main focus should be collaboration. 

"What we need to see is not necessarily centralised funding, but we need to understand that we in New Zealand have so many charities, almost to the point where we have more than sheep.

"We need to be focusing on how to encourage people to work together when we're working towards the same cause. I would advocate for a mental health commission. It takes away the idea of using mental health as a political football."

Mr MacDonald said increased funding to DHBs needed to be the first step, to keep up with population growth and to fund the sector properly. 

"I think we're going to see a focus on primary care. What makes sense is to push a lot of the first points of contact, your GP clinic, so we can get good information and good contact with people."

As an overhaul looks to be on the cards, Q+A reporter Whena Owen investigated past overhauls and spoke to those on the fringe of the mental health system about their concerns.

Q+A is on TVNZ1 on Mondays at 9.30pm, and the episode is then available on TVNZ OnDemand and as a podcast in all the usual places.