Youth suicide: The parties’ promises
New Zealand has some of the highest suicide rates in the world. Here the parties outline what they’re going to do about it
New Zealand has the highest teen suicide rate in the developed world. When it comes to youth suicide — those 25 and under — we have the second-highest rate.
Across all age groups, provisional suicide figures for 2016-17 show 606 people died by suicide in New Zealand, up from a then all-time high of 579 the year before.
In July and August the Herald’s Break the Silence series about youth suicide revealed how not talking about suicide has become the orthodox approach to dealing with a problem that will not go away. The overall death rate has shown no sign of sustained fall for 20 years.
It also showed the fear Government wrestles with in dealing with this national tragedy.
An expert group set up to advise the Ministry of Health proposed a target of reducing the total suicide rate by 20 per cent over 10 years.
It was rejected in case the Government was held accountable if the rate didn’t fall. Health Minister Jonathan Coleman has since said he would be open to the target.
The problems revealed by Break the Silence signalled a crisis in almost every part of our mental health system and its ability to deal with the issue.
We revealed almost 2000 young people seeking specialist mental health care were turned away or passed on, with some waiting up to six months for an appointment.
Research also showed only the most serious 5 per cent of cases were being seen.
The Herald has heard from hundreds of affected families wanting a way back to wellness for young people.
We asked parties standing for election to set out their policies for bringing down the suicide rate. Here are the responses, in alphabetical order.
Act
No response.
Greens
Free counselling for all New Zealanders aged 25 and under as part of a $260 million youth mental health package.
Increase spending on youth mental health services by $100m a year to reduce waiting times, provide specialist treatment and retain staff.
Tagged funding and a ratio of one trained school guidance counsellor to 400 students.
Integrate wellness into the school curriculum — developing skills among whanau — to show young people how to cope with life’s challenges.
The Government should commit to zero suicides and focus resources on “ensuring we don’t lose another person”.
Labour
A mental health review in the first 100 days to identify service gaps and needs in schools, secondary specialist services and “talking therapies”.
A two-year pilot “on-site talking therapies” programme of primary mental health teams at eight places across the country, working with GPs, district health boards and mental health bodies. Aim to help nearly 40,000 people each year of the pilot at a cost of $43m over two years.
Eighty fulltime roles in Can- terbury and Kaikoura for primary and intermediate schools to deal with post-quake issues and mental health needs.
Services in every state secondary school to assist with mental health.
Re-establish an independent mental health commissioner and consider a suicide reduction target.
Labour says its wider health policy will also help, with cheaper GP visits, more funding for GP training and a review of primary care funding to aid access to care.
Mana
No response.
Maori Party
Young Maori are 21⁄ times 2 more likely to take their lives than non-Maori.
The Maori Party seeks more funding for and an expansion of Oranga Rangatahi, which gained $8m in this year’s Budget, to develop projects to help young Maori fight suicide.
Oranga Rangatahi builds on the work of the Rangatahi Suicide Prevention Fund — set up in 2015 — which saw 38 community and youth-led initiatives funded.
Resource whanau to develop solutions.
Lower the threshold to access appropriate support for individuals experiencing distress. Reduce health disparities for Maori by increasing the number of youth and whanau services targeting addiction and mental health.
Resource and carry out the Turamarama Declaration, tabled at last year’s World Indigenous Suicide Prevention Conference, which aims to place suicide prevention at the centre of government and society priorities and to develop tools to tackle it.
National
National says evidence shows mental health services need to change to “build resilience in young people to help them better deal with mental health issues and to learn how to overcome known risk factors”.
A recently announced $100m social investment fund for mental health aims to provide better access to effective and responsive mental health services. This approach is being supported by the Govern- ment’s chief science advisers.
National is “open” to setting an aspirational suicide reduction target.
It has announced Lifekeepers, a new suicide prevention training programme to help communities “build the capability and capacity to support people at risk of suicide”.
Submissions received during consultation on a draft suicide prevention strategy will be incorporated into the final advice provided to the Government and help inform the wider mental health work now under way.
New Zealand First
NZ First says current funding is insufficient and poorly allocated and funds will be allocated in line with a national mental health inquiry.
Hold an independent inquiry into the funding of the public health system.
Increase the number of mental health and addiction nurses at all DHBs and to increase options for treatment with a community, rather than medical, view of services.
Increase staff numbers as well as the number of acute and non-acute beds and accommodation units for the mentally ill.
Modify the process of judicial review of decisions to release mentally ill patients into the community.
NZ First says work is continuing to finalise the policy which won’t be available before the election.
The Opportunities Party
Social and economic isolation and disadvantage is a major cause of our suicide epidemic, says Top.
Fair tax reform and asset tax will soften house price growth and ease financial stress on working people. Tenancy reform will give low-income earners a stable “home”.
The Unconditional Basic Income of $200 a week gives youth “in the midst of the most difficult life transition” the ability to pursue dreams and manage their lives.
Cannabis reform takes $150m off dealers and puts it into drug and alcohol education and rehabilitation. It will allow people to ask for help without the threat of criminal sanction.
“Of course more needs to be spent on treating those with mental illness in the here-andnow and Top will support such spending.”
But “the real big-picture answer is to create a society and economy which doesn’t leave so many people alienated and desperate”.
United Future
Increase funding for youthfocused mental health services including better workforce development.
This includes youthfocused counselling services as a first response rather than “over-prescribing pharmaceuticals”.
DHBs to develop secure facilities for treating youth with mental health problems.
Increase funding for more research into child and youth suicide as well as youthrelated health problems such as alcoholism and bulimia.
Additional community health providers and more resources for mental health professionals.