King blastsministry for suicide report ‘bullying’

Former New Zealander of the Year Mike King is blasting the Ministry of Health for burying the 1000 Letters suicide report led by the Key to Life Charitable Trust.

The trust’s ambassador also took aim ‘‘at those associated with the Health and Disability Commission’’ for trying to intimidate those behind the report.

Released on September 10, World Suicide Prevention Day, the report analysed the content of suicide notes to look for common themes with the aim of informing future suicide prevention efforts.

State health agencies called for the project to be scrapped because it did not have ethics committee approval. The ministry told Stuff it was concerned by the ‘‘potential to do harm’’.

Yesterday, King accused agencies of fear-mongering. ‘‘And then when the report’s published, and it disproves every allegation, they just refuse to look at it . . . That’s bullying of the highest order,’’ he said.

‘‘The narrative is, ‘We’re the experts, everyone else should be silent, and if you’re in trouble, reach out and ask for help.’ Well, our report not only says the help’s not there, but because of the stigma associated with suicidal thinking, the last thing I am going to do is reach out,’’ King said.

The Health and Disability Commission said it received correspondence from more than 100 people who were ‘‘concerned about the approach’’ the project had taken.

Mental Health Commissioner Kevin Allan described King’s characterisation of the office’s work as ‘‘bullying’’ as ‘‘unhelpful’’.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the ministry had made ‘‘a number of endeavours’’ to help Key to Life get ethics approval.