Whakapaingia te toiora o te rangatahi me te taiohi Improve wellbeing for rangatahi and young people

The mental health and wellbeing of rangatahi Māori and young people is one of the most important issues we can focus on today. More needs to be done to support rangatahi and young peoples’ mental health and wellbeing.

What are we advocating for?

• Rangatahi Māori and young people must have a seat at decision-making tables.
• Expand access to youth mental health and addiction services in all localities. 
• Reduce the number of rangatahi Māori and young people admitted to adult in-patient mental health services to zero. 
• Invest in youth specific acute options for rangatahi Māori and young people across all districts, including kaupapa Māori services, residential alternatives to hospital based inpatient mental health care and short-term respite care.

Why is this important?

Rates of distress for rangatahi and young people have increased over the last ten years, and more needs to be done to address this. We are particularly concerned that:

• Young people continue to experience long wait times to than other age groups to access specialist mental health services.
• Initial dispensings for antidepressant, antipsychotic, and anxiolytic medications have increased substantially.
• Last year, 159 young people aged 12-17 years were admitted to adult mental health inpatient services – this is one quarter of young people who were admitted for inpatient mental health care.