Goals ‘will aid suicide reduction’

The Mental Health Commission is urging the Government to adopt a policy of ‘‘zero tolerance of suicides in services’’ following its independent assessment of mental health and addiction services.

Commissioner Kevin Allan also recommended the adoption of an overall suicide reduction target of at least 10 per cent.

Allan advocated for a broader focus from mental illness and addiction to encompass mental well-being and recovery, in the monitoring and advocacy report, released on Wednesday.

‘‘We need a collaborative approach – from consumers being more involved in their own care to leaders working together at ministry level and also service provider level.’’ Allan said it was a coincidence his report, which he started working on about a year ago, was released just as the Labour Government’s promised mental health inquiry was kicking off.

The report asked the inquiry to consider ‘‘the adoption of a goal of zero tolerance of suicides in services’’. It also recommended a specific reduction target in the Government’s suicide prevention plan, noting the World Health Organisation suggests a target of

10 per cent.

Ahead of the election, nowHealth Minister David Clark said he was in favour of a reduction target but it is unlikely he will set a target, or take a position on this, until after the Government’s inquiry has been completed.

Provisional statistics from the Chief Coroner show 606 Kiwis took their own life in the 2016-17 year, up from 579 the previous year and

564 the year before that. Of those,

180 were suspected suicides in services, according to Health Quality & Safety Commission New Zealand data.

Aspirational goal

Allan said Mersey Care – a broad-based National Health Service provider in Britain – inspired his zero-tolerance goal.

‘‘[Mersey] has been addressing some of the concerns we’ve got.

‘‘What they’ve done is have a clear aspirational goal of zero suicides and they’re doing what they need to do to work towards that. That’s a helpful approach for us. I’m really encouraging services to work together in how they go about moving in that direction.

‘‘It would involve commitment from many sectors but from there would come safer conditions for patients.’’

The report made a series of recommendations to the health minister, and discussed the pressure on services. ‘‘While growing numbers of New Zealanders are accessing health services for mental health and addiction issues, these services are under pressure and many needs are left unmet,’’ Allan said. ‘‘Access to mental health and addiction services has grown 73 per cent over the last decade, while funding has grown only 40 per cent. More of the same is simply not OK. We need to be smarter about what we do and how we provide the most effective support for people.’’

Figures from 2006 show 50 per cent of Kiwis would have a mental health issue in their lifetime, but Allan said those figures were outdated, and the Dunedin Longitudinal Study pointed to much higher prevalence, with 83 per cent of the cohort experiencing mental illness or addiction by age 38.

The report also raised concerns over the current use of the Mental Health Act, where the court orders someone to undergo treatment.

Ma¯ori men were nearly four times more likely to be sectioned under the act, and were five times more likely to be subject to seclusion.

The report said changes to the law needed to align with current expectations about human rights.

Clark agreed that the social drivers of poor mental health, including housing, income, education and social and cultural connections, should be addressed.

The country also needed to address inequities of treatment and outcomes for Ma¯ori, Pacific people and young people, he said.

‘‘Mental health and addiction are issues that touch every family.

‘‘While we absolutely need quality services to help those in need, we also need to get serious about facing up to the major causes of these issues.

‘‘As a country we can do more to identify and support people in need at an earlier stage. We need more prevention and early intervention.’’ Clark said he was confident the inquiry had the expertise and breadth of focus to look at the issues raised in the commissioner’s report and come up with meaningful solutions.