Access and choice mental health programme stacks up

At the five- year mark, the Access and Choice Programme has proved to be a valuable addition to the mental health, addiction and wellbeing support services available to people throughout the country.

Today Te Hiringa Mahara – the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission released a report that documents progress establishing the programme, with recommendations on how to ensure it reaches its full potential.

“The introduction of the Access and Choice programme has filled gap in support and has substantially increased access for people seeking help for mild to moderate mental health, addiction and wellbeing issues. The programme is a good investment, but efforts to reach more people need to be intensified,” said Karen Orsborn, Chief Executive Officer.

During 2023-24, over 207,000 people have accessed support, with over 1.6 million sessions completed across the country since establishment.

“There has been very positive feedback from those accessing the services. The impact of reaching people early is a huge net positive for Aotearoa; not just for those who need it, but for our health system, our workforce, and for New Zealand as a whole,” Ms Orsborn said.

The programme has improved access to primary mental health care. It includes specific services to meet the needs of rangatahi and young people, Māori and Pacific peoples. This is in line with levels of need experienced by these population groups. One marker of need is rates of moderate levels psychological distress. This is highest for young people aged 15–24 years (23.6%), Māori adults (22.5%), and Pacific adults (20.5%).

“We are encouraged that the programme ensures population groups with the highest levels of need are offered tailored services. This is key to the success of the programme.”

“There is more work to do for the programme to reach its full potential. We have noted some regional variations, and the number being seen falls short of the goal of 325,000 people,” Ms Orsborn said.

“While the programme has positive impacts, to be fully realised there needs to be focused effort. This will take greater flexibility of delivery modes, including offering virtual services, increased productivity and recruitment, and, most essentially, to sustain funding.”

One-fifth (20.2 per cent) of all people using Access and Choice services is aged 12–24 (equivalent to nearly 42,000 young people),

“Because rangatahi and young people experience high rates of psychological distress it’s vital there are services available that meet their needs. Therefore it’s a promising sign to see the rate at which young people are accessing services throughout the country,” Ms Orsborn said.

Read the Access and Choice Programme: 2025 monitoring report