An editorial published in the New Zealand Medical
Journal asserts that our current understanding of the
prevalence of mental health conditions and substance use in
Aotearoa New Zealand is not adequate for guiding investment
in mental health and addiction services and
supports.
Researchers from Te Pou, a national
workforce centre for mental health, addiction and
disability, and the Department of Māori Indigenous Health
Innovation (MIHI) at University of Otago, Christchurch, are
advocating for an up-to-date understanding of the mental
health and problematic substance use of New
Zealanders.
“Te Rau Hinengaro: The New Zealand
Mental Health Survey, was a landmark epidemiological
study, but it is now nearly 20 years old,” says Rae Lamb,
Chief Executive of Te Pou. “Since it was conducted, we
have seen fundamental changes to life which are believed to
be having profound effects. We need up-to-date good
information about this so we can ensure the right services
and supports are provided and precious health dollars are
spent wisely.”
The editorial published in today’s
New Zealand Medical Journal explains the importance
of prevalence data for informing decisions on what services
and supports are needed, for whom, and where health
investment should be spent, highlighting the strengths and
limitations of current data.
“We are working with
partners to ensure a Te Tiriti o Waitangi and lived
experience approach to psychiatric epidemiology from the
outset, through design, implementation and the dissemination
of findings,” says co-author and Māori psychiatrist Dr
Cameron Lacey, Associate Professor at MIHI. “Robust and
contemporary population health data is crucial to upholding
Te Tiriti o Waitangi and ensuring an equitable mental health
and addiction system.”
Lead author, Dr Helen
Lockett, says, “While people have told us that they
generally support an in-depth survey, there are multiple
perspectives to consider. We are proposing a values-led
evaluative framework to guide the research
process.”
The knowledge generated from this research
would bring much value to Aotearoa, and particularly to
people with the highest needs or who are currently ‘not
seen’. It would inform and enable fair and equitable
investments in support.
For further
information:
Visit the Te
Pou website to find out more about understanding population
mental health and substance use data.
Notes for
editors:
The paper, ‘Whakairo: carving a values-led
approach to understand and respond to the mental health and
substance use of the New Zealand population’ is published
in the New Zealand Medical
Journal.
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