A Dunedin mental health advocate is disappointed the Government has rejected setting a suicide reduction target.
The Government has released its long-awaited response to the Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry report.
The inquiry recommended sweeping changes, including a suicide reduction target and the establishment of a mental health commission.
Its report went to the government in November last year, which was due to respond in March.
The Government today announced its response to the inquiry's recommendations, with plans for an independent mental health commission - but no suicide reduction target.
Life Matters suicide prevention trust founder Corinda Taylor told the Otago Daily Times she was very disappointed the Government had rejected setting a suicide reduction target.
"20% is better than nothing, now we won't even have a target and they're not going to measure it.''
Mrs Taylor agreed with the Government that a zero suicide target was the ultimate end, but said a reduction target was an important initial step.
"We need to start somewhere and then build up to a system so robust and so good that nobody falls through the gaps.
"I know it is an aspirational goal, but it is better than saying we are not going to have any target.''
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the Government has "accepted, accepted in principle, or agreed to further consider" of 38 of the 40 recommendations.
"The inquiry into mental health and addiction laid down a challenge to the government and to all New Zealanders.
"We need to transform our thinking and approach to mental health and addiction - and that is what we are committing to today," Ms Ardern said.
"We all know people who have lived with mental health and addiction challenges. This touches every community and every family and we must do better."
Accepted recommendations include:
- Boosting access to publicly-funded mental health and addiction services for people with mild to moderate needs.
- Broadening the types of services available.
- Urgently completing the national suicide prevention strategy
- Establishing an independent commission to oversee mental health and addiction services
- Repealing and replacing the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992.
Setting up new services, training hundreds of staff and building new facilities across the country would take "significant and sustained investment", Ms Ardern said.
"That begins with tomorrow's Wellbeing Budget but will take years."
Health Minister David Clark said the Government had ruled out setting up a separate government agency responsible for "social wellbeing" because that was a job for "all of Government".
The government also rejected the panel's recommendation of setting a target of a 20 percent reduction in suicide rates by 2030.
Dr Clark said the question of a suicide target was considered at length but the experts' views were "mixed".
"We're not prepared to sign up to a suicide target because every life matters, and one death by suicide is one death too many," he said.
The Health Ministry was in the process of finalising the draft suicide prevention strategy and was working on options for an office of suicide prevention.
"There are no quick-fixes for these issues. The drivers of mental health and addiction issues are deep seated and long standing, but as government we are committed to tackling them.
"New Zealanders in distress deserve our support, plain and simple."
Health Minister David Clark said when the inquiry was announced in January last year that significant change was needed in the sector.
The inquiry was a part of the coalition Government's 100 day plan, and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand had a "shameful" suicide rate and that nothing was off the table.
The inquiry's major recommendations:
- Suicide: Target of 20 percent reduction in rates by 2030; implement national prevention strategy; set up suicide prevention office.
- Establish independent mental health and wellbeing commission.
- Repeal and replace the Mental Health Act
- Review of support for whānau with mental health and addiction needs.
- Tighter rules for selling alcohol.
- Replace criminal charges with civil response for possession for personal use of controlled drugs.
- Strengthen voice of people with lived experience in mental health and addiction.
- Ensure focus on primary care as a "critical foundation" for mental health and addiction.
- Who conducted the inquiry
- The six-person inquiry team was led by the former Health and Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson.
It spent about 10 months consulting people around the country, holding more than 400 meetings and considering about 5000 submissions.
Other members of the inquiry panel were Dr Barbara Disley, Sir Mason Durie, Dean Rangihuna, Dr Jemaima Tiatia-Seath and Josiah Tualamali'i.
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Comments
The number one thing any Government and/or Commission needs to investigate is to determine WHY there are so many suicides and WHY life has become so difficult for victims. Ability to cope with day-to-day events ? What's changed in the past 50 years to create such a dilemma in our society now ?
This government has to be voted out/ its as bad as the last one / people in the streets not happy./
So what do you suggest, we vote in the last lot again, what will that do. At least this lot are doing something and not sitting on their hands.
I totally support this decision.
We don't accept that 20% drop in workplace deaths - Zero harm is the target.
Zero suicides should be the target - Accepting no death by suicide is the only expectation.
There is reports that 40 % of suicide can be linked to the workplace.
I suspect, if we were honest, that the suicide deaths related to workplace issues are greater that any other sector, but ignored. (A simple review of coroners’ reports will also suggest that.)
This being the case it could continue to be ignored based on a finite target.
What has changed in the last 50 years? I have been around long enough to tell you that we have followed a culture of instant fixes, anti family, not valuing what history teaches us, anti life, a culture of death and aimlessness looking only to the next exciting trend. That is what has changed in 50 years and it has been taught from the top, at tertiary level. "Live for today and put yourself first!" "To the devil with the hindmost!" "Please yourself." "Indulge yourself." "You are able to be and do anything you want as long as you do not hurt other people!" What a lie! No wonder young people have no hope. All of us need family, love, meaning and purpose. Why have we allowed those to be removed from us?