Alcohol absent from health plan
Coleman’s 17 points fail to address key factor in suicide
Cheap booze is a cause of depression and an aid to suicide and there is a pressing need to rethink its availability and price, the Government has been told by the Prime Minister’s chief science adviser.
Sir Peter Gluckman’s advice was released after the Government announced 17 new mental health initiatives, including to build resilience in preschoolers and “e-therapy” for young people and prisoners.
Health Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman has faced pressure over mental health services, after a series of critical reports and Opposition vows to overhaul support.
Announcing the new measures, he said they would help put care in New Zealand “ahead of the curve”, as social media and other aspects of modern life put more pressure on young people.
“All governments have to start doing things differently.”
While much of the focus of the new initiatives is on improving resilience and decision-making, none of the 17 specifically address the role of alcohol in suicide and depression.
That is despite Gluckman’s advice that a re-evaluation of alcohol in society is urgently needed.
“There is a pressing need for us to reorder our thinking about alcohol use — because excessive and inappropriate use are both symptoms of and causes of mental disorder — as well as illicit drug use for the same reasons,” Gluckman wrote in the July 28 advice.
“We need to re-evaluate all aspects of how these are viewed and handled in our society including availability, social acceptability, behaviour, social licence and price: all are central to any rethink/ revitalisation of mental health policy.”
Coleman told the Herald he had personally voted for the drinking age to increase to 20, and the Government had previously looked at the availability of alcohol.
“There’s no intention to revisit this at this point. I’m confident that this $100 million, wide-ranging package will make a real difference to the youth of New Zealand.”
The Herald ran a five-week series called Break the Silence, looking at why New Zealand has the highest teenage suicide rate in the developed world and the second-highest youth (25 and under) rate.
It highlighted 10 potential solutions, including reducing access to alcohol, given that half the young people who die by suicide in New Zealand have alcohol in their bloodstream. Other suggested solutions are touched on by the new initiatives.
The $100m social investment fund was previously announced as part of Budget 2017. The initiatives now confirmed broadly cover four groups: a school-based package, primary and community mental health care, distance and e-therapy, and building an “evidence based approach” in the New Zealand context.
The last will include interviews with “hard-to-find” groups including the homeless and transient populations.
The new mental health initiatives include:
A pilot to help develop “internal self-regulatory skills” for 3 and 4-year-olds, and the development of a universal screening approach to identify mental health issues in school students.
More e-therapy or online therapy options for young people, and for prisoners under 25.
Programmes to ensure follow-up support for people who try suicide, and to identify people at risk of suicide when they interact with police, ambulance services and emergency departments.
Expanding primary and community mental health and addiction care, including for people whose needs aren’t easily managed by GPs but who don’t meet the threshold for specialist services.
Support for people experiencing or at risk of acute mental health crisis to find and keep rental accommodation. as the All Blacks seek to retain it for a 14th consecutive year.
All Black Sonny Bill Williams was snapped midstretch during a gym session at Bondi Junction.
The Wallabies handed over the Bledisloe Cup in 2003 and haven’t touched it since.
The other tests are in Dunedin on August 26 and Brisbane on October 21.