Mental Health Inquiry consultation opens; reading list on violence and mental health

The website and consultation document for the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction - Oranga Tāngata Oranga Whānau have been launched.

The Clearinghouse has published a reading list on the links between abuse/violence, trauma, mental health issues and addictions, to support your submissions to the Inquiry.

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Inquiry website and consultation document

The website, www.mentalhealth.inquiry.govt.nz, provides information about the inquiry, how to give feedback, the consultation document, public meetings and where to go for support.

The consultation document explains how to give feedback. It is available as a PDF in English and various other languages including te reo Māori and NZ Sign Language (see links to the right). It is also available in accessible formats such as Easy Read.

The panel is asking for feedback on five questions:

• "What’s currently working well?
• What isn’t working well at the moment?
• What could be done better?
• From your point of view, what sort of society would be best for the mental health of all our people?
• Anything else you want to tell us."

The deadline for written submissions is 5 June 2018.

To learn more about what is and is not included in the Inquiry, see the summary version of the terms of reference. The introduction to the consultation document states:

"Overall, we want to hear your ideas about solutions that might help to:

• build positive mental wellbeing for all New Zealanders
• help people to deal with mental health challenges early (before specialist treatment is required)
• enable people to avoid becoming addicted to something that causes harm
• prevent people from taking their own lives
• make it easier and faster to identify when someone is facing mental health or addiction challenges and get them help more quickly
• improve the quality of the support and interventions given to those who need it, and
• any other ideas about how to improve mental health and wellbeing in Aotearoa."

Chair of the Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry Ron Paterson, said:

“This is a once in a generation opportunity to deliver a solutions based report that generates hope and set a clear direction for the next five to ten years that Government, the mental health and addiction sectors, and the broader community can pick up and implement."

A series of hui, fono and public meetings are running around the country from now until July 2018.

The Inquiry was to report back by October 31 but this has been extended, and they will now report back by November 30.

Update: The final report from the Inquiry has been delivered to the Government. Health Minister Dr David Clark said the report would be released publically by the end of year. The Government is planning to formally respond to the Inquiry report in March 2019.

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Research on mental health issues, addictions, trauma, violence and abuse

The Clearinghouse has published a reading list on the links between abuse/violence, trauma, mental health issues and addiction, to support your submissions.

Also see The Backbone Collective Submission to the Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction (2018).