More people accessing mental health helplines - report

More people are accessing mental health helplines such as Need to Talk?, an interim report by the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission has found.

Te Huringa: Change and Transformation - Mental Health Service and Addiction Service Monitoring Report 2022 monitored the performance of mental health and addiction services in Aotearoa New Zealand between 2016/2017 and 2020/2021.

It found sustained political leadership is needed in order to transform mental health care in the country.

"Transformation is a complex process of change that includes strong and committed leadership at the highest level. The will for improvement and good intent is not enough – transformation requires strong leaders hip and a well-managed plan to execute change," the report said.

READ MORE: 'Sustained leadership' needed to transform mental health care

Hayden Wano, chairman of the commission, said in the report it is concerned the focus and leadership needed to transform the system may get lost in the Covid-19 response and broader health reforms.

"We urge the Government, particularly at this time of transition to Health NZ and the Māori Health Authority, to make sure transforming the mental health and addiction system remains a priority."

The report noted use of what it termed as "telehealth and digital supports" is increasing as the services become more available.

It said in 2020/2021, 63,275 people used the text service 1737 Need to Talk? The service provides one-on-on counselling support and phone-based peer support.

The report said 2020/2021's numbers were almost three times those of the 21,467 users from the year the service launched in 2017/2018.

Also in 2020/2021, one in 10 people in Aotearoa New Zealand (515,036) people had visited depression.org.nz. The website provides ideas for support for people experiencing distress.

The report said this was a 68% increase from the 306,809 people who visited the website in 2016/2017.

However, the report said access to both the Alcohol Drug Helpline and Gambling Helpline has decreased.

A total of 14,894 people had rung the Alcohol and Drug Helpline in 2020/2021. This was a fall of 13% from 17,033 people in 2017/2018.

Meanwhile, 3401 people had called the Gambling Helpline in 2020/2021, which was down 29% from 4785 in 2016/2017.

The report also noted some of the positives of the Access and Choice programme.

The five-year programme was established as part of the 2019 Wellbeing Budget, with $664 million invested into its rollout.

It sets out to provide 325,000 people who have mild to moderate mental health and addiction needs with free and immediate support.

He Ara Oranga: Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction had found there was an urgent need to provide better access to, and more choice in, services.

Four new national services - the Integrated Primary Mental Health and Addiction services accessed through GPs, kaupapa Māori, Pacific and youth - are being supported as part of the Access and Choice programme. A total of $516.4m was invested in them.

The commission said it expects investment in the programme will, in time, provide early intervention and support for mental health and addiction needs.

It said the programme has put much-needed investment into primary and community care, highlighting two services which are providing holistic support to fit the needs of Māori and young people respectively - Mahana and EaseUp from Emerge Aotearoa.

Mahana, a kaupapa Māori service, allows users in the Southern region to determine what their wellbeing journey looks like.

EaseUp sees peer support workers and clinicians provide holistic support to young people living in Auckland or Waitematā where they feel most comfortable, such as their home or local park.

However, the commission did note while the overall Access and Choice programme rollout was on schedule, the rollout of services for Māori, Pacific peoples and youth could be accelerated.