Now the hard graft starts and mental health must be priority

You can almost hear it, can’t you? The distant yawn of around 120 politicians rousing from their post-election slumber.

MPs have just spent four weeks travelling around the country smiling, nodding and promising to fix and fund everything under the sun.

Now, the hard work begins. Which policies will be prioritised? What is urgent, and what isn’t? Which sectors will get cash, and which will miss out?

Of the many worthy issues on the agenda, one sticks out: mental health.

In 2017, Labour campaigned hard on this. Jacinda

Ardern’s government funded a longawaited inquiry and pumped money into the system.

And yet, many desperate people still struggle to get help.

We don’t need another taskforce to tell us what we already know. Mental health units are full. Waiting lists are too long. Therapy is inaccessible and unaffordable for many people.

We also know about the structural issues that contribute to mental distress, such as unemployment, poverty and high housing costs.

No political leader could have waved a magic wand and solve those decades-old problems in a three-year term.

But soon, the public will want to see more compelling evidence of the mental health sector ‘‘transformation’’ that Ardern’s team promised. In the last term, her government committed $1.9 billion to mental health over a five-year period.

More money – for any sector – is usually a good thing. But it’s also easy to blow millions of dollars on initiatives that don’t make a difference. Right now, there’s an urgent need to focus on some key areas.

Firstly, the new government must turn its attention to the size and quality of the mental health workforce.

We simply do not have enough people in the right professions in the right places, especially in our rural communities. Achieving transformation is impossible if you don’t have an army to carry it out.

We need to attract and train more people in psychology, psychiatry, counselling, social work, youth work and addiction support.

These are hard jobs. They can be thankless and taxing. But we can only improve the quality of services by building – and nurturing – a strong workforce of smart, empathetic people.

Even so, it’s unrealistic to expect primary health organisations and district health boards to shoulder the entire burden of mental healthcare. The government must improve its partnerships with schools, NGOs, churches and community organisations.

These groups are often bestplaced to deliver local services that enhance wellbeing. They deserve more support.

There is a huge opportunity for disruption in the mental health field. Technology can allow us to deliver services in a cheaper, faster, more effective way. Online tools, such as e-therapy, can reach more people, particularly in remote areas.

A big chunk of our mental health budget is spent on caring for those who are at the acute end of the spectrum. Because of the urgent need in that area, primary care is often overlooked.

We must provide services to those who have not yet experienced mental distress, so that they are able to navigate life’s challenges when they arise.

That’s why services for children and young people are especially important. If we equip them with mental health tools at an early age, we can prevent many of them from experiencing severe distress.

In the previous term, the Greens convinced Labour to trial a free counselling programme for 18-25-year-olds. The new government should consider rolling out free counselling for all under-25s. It’s a no-brainer.

Overall, a focus on prevention will have the greatest long-term impact on our appalling mental health statistics. That’ll mean fewer diagnoses, prescriptions and suicides. A better quality of life for many Kiwis, and a lower burden on the health sector.

The election campaign revealed a rare consensus between all parties on the importance of mental health reform. The next government has the chance to achieve that.

We must provide services to those who have not yet experienced mental distress, so that they are able to navigate life’s challenges when they arise.