Better mental health and wellbeing for our people

Te Hiringa Mahara (Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission) is kaitiaki of mental health and wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand. We were established as a result of He Ara Oranga, the 2018 inquiry into mental health and addiction, as an independent Crown entity at arms-length from the government of the day.

Our objective is to contribute to better and equitable mental health and wellbeing outcomes for all people in Aotearoa. We perform an enduring role in transforming Aotearoa New Zealand's approach to mental health and wellbeing. We have made a strong commitment to ground our work in Te Tiriti o Waitangi and improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes for Māori and whānau. This is front and centre of who we are and what we do. 

We are committed to prioritising the voices of people who experience mental distress, substance harm, gambling harm or addiction, and advocating for their needs and aspirations.

Two new data summaries provide updated data on access and trends for mental health and addiction services, with the second one focused on addiction specialist services. Published May 2025.

Fewer people accessed specialist mental health and addiction services in the year from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 than in previous years. Published February 2025.