One In Two New Zealanders Reported Having Felt Severely Stressed And/or Depressed In The Past Year

Auckland, 22 November 2022 – New
Zealanders are thinking about their mental wellbeing more
often than a year ago, however still less than they think
about their physical wellbeing. New Zealand males are less
likely to think about their mental health than females, who
are above the global average.

The Ipsos Global
Advisor Study regularly asks respondents from
around the world, including New Zealand, for their views on
different topics. Ipsos has conducted this study to
understand perceptions around mental health and wellbeing,
as well as factors that impact it. The New Zealand research
also explored social media usage and any potential links it
may have with mental health. More than 20,000 people across
30 countries were surveyed. In New Zealand, 1,000 people
aged 18+ participated in this survey.

Key finding
include:

• In New Zealand, our young people, and
  those under the age of 50, are more likely to think about
  their mental health than this time last year, and more often
  than the global average.
• Despite most New Zealanders
  having the view that mental and physical health are equally
  important, only one in five believe physical wellbeing and
  mental wellbeing are given equal importance in our health
  care system, one of the lowest ratings
  globally.
• More than half of New Zealanders have felt
  stressed to the point where it had an impact on how they
  live their daily life (56%) and where they felt like they
  could not cope / deal with things (53%). One in four New
  Zealanders reported having seriously considered suicide or
  self-hurt in the last year.
• Young people’s
  experiences with mental health issues are considerably more
  pronounced. Three quarters of our young people (aged 18-34)
  have felt stressed to the point that is has impacted on
  their daily life and made them feel unable to cope, with 40%
  saying that they have seriously considered suicide or
  self-harm in the last year.
• While New Zealand women
  and young people are more likely to have experienced mental
  health issues, they are also more likely to have taken
  action, such as talk to friends / family, taking time of
  work, talking to a primary health care provider or taking
  medication.
• Concern about personal finances is now
  considered to be the biggest impact on New Zealanders’
  mental wellbeing, likely related to the increased cost of
  living.

Commenting on the Ipsos Global Advisor
Study, Carin Hercock, Managing Director, Ipsos New
Zealand, said: “While below the global
average, we were quite shocked to see that around a third of
New Zealanders had been so stressed they felt like they
couldn’t cope several times in the last 12 months, and
this is the way almost 1 in 2 of our younger cohort have
been feeling. Our report shows that mental health is much
more likely to be an issue for younger New Zealanders, but
one positive is that the young are also more likely to talk
to friends and family about their mental health issues and
concerns and to have received professional
help.”

Amanda Dudding, Research Director, Public
Affairs, Ipsos New Zealand, added:

“The cost of
living crisis is adding pressure into the lives of New
Zealanders every day. From the Ipsos Issues Monitor we know
that inflation / cost of living is the number one issue our
country is facing. This survey shows it’s not only taking
a toll on our wallets, but also on our mental health.
Finances now have the biggest effect on our mental
wellbeing.”

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