Te Rau Hinengaro - New Zealand Mental Health Survey

Te Rau Hinengaro - New Zealand Mental Health Survey
Quick Reference Guide for Media

Key Findings
New Zealand has high prevalences of anxiety, mood and substance abuse disorders, which are exceeded only by the US for anxiety (14.7% compared with 18.2%), by the US (9.6%), Ukraine (9.1%) and France (8.5% compared with New Zealand’s 7.7%) for mood and only by the Ukraine and US for substance abuse disorders out of 15 countries who have conducted similar surveys as at 2004. pg 36/pg 54

Anxiety disorders were the most common group of disorders in the past 12 months (15%) followed by mood disorders (8%), then substance abuse (3.5%). Eating disorders were rare (0.5%). pg 37

All disorders were most common in 16-24 year olds and declined with age. This is particularly true for substance disorders. Anxiety and depression were more common in women and substance abuse more common in men (double the rate of women). pg 37/pg 56

New Zealand lifetime prevalence rates for anxiety, mood and substance abuse disorders are higher than for European countries and similar to the US - where similar surveys have been carried out. pg 70

Some experience of mental disorder is common (20% in past year) and of those having more than one is also common (37%). The most common combination of disorders is anxiety and mood disorders. Having more than one mental disorder is linked with suicidal behaviour (such as suicide attempts) and increased mental health service use. pg 72

People with mental disorder are more likely to be physically unwell and the reverse is also true. pg 93

There is significant unmet need for people with mental disorders. Of all the 12 month cases of mental disorder only 39% had visited health services in the past 12 months. pg 121

Most people with a mental disorder saw the problem as fixing itself - the most commonly endorsed reason for delaying seeking, stopping treatment or not seeking help were attitudinal 'I thought the problem would get better by itself'. pg 135

Health Service Use
Unmet need was greatest in younger and Pacific people. People with lower educational attainment and those living in rural areas had lower rates of visits to mental health services. pg 125.

Younger people were less likely than any other age groups to have had a health visit for a mental health reason. Pg 128

Males had lower rates of any mental health visits than females. Pg 128

Pacific people who experienced serious disorders were much less likely to access treatment than the total New Zealand population. Pg 207

Disability and Comorbidity
It’s common for people to have had two mental disorders (comorbidity) in the previous 12 months. pg 75

People with mental disorders have higher prevalences of several chronic physical conditions. pg 81/pg 87

Mood disorders affect peoples’ lives the most. pg 88

Around 3% of the population reported days where they were completely unable to work or carry out their normal activities due to mental health problems in the past month. pg 88/pg 90

Suicide
Thinking about suicide is common (15%) though planning (5.5%) and attempting were lower (4.5%). pg 99

Individuals with mental disorders were at higher risk of suicide, particularly people with depressive or mood disorders. pg 99

The risk of suicidal behaviour varied with ethnicity, with Maori and Pacific people reporting higher rates than the Other population group. Pg 99

Almost half of those with a 12-month history of suicidal behaviour did not report making any general medical or specialist mental health visits within the same 12-month period in which they were suicidal. Pg 99

Differences between ethnic groups
Maori and Pacific people had higher prevalences of disorder and serious disorder in the past 12 months than the general population, but most of this was accounted for by sociodemographic differences, particularly for Pacific people. pg 36.

Maori and Pacific people have an excess burden of lifetime mental disorder compared to other groups even when the younger age of these groups is taken into account (mental disorders have early onset and younger people are at greater risk). pg 71

The findings of the survey have contradicted some widely held assumptions about the mental health status of Pacific people in NZ and for this reason alone are significant. pg 238

The results show that length of time exposed to the NZ environment may be associated with higher levels of mental disorder among pacific people. pg 238

About the Survey
The response rate for Te Rau Hinengaro was 73.3%. pg xix

Earlier, smaller surveys told us that a large number of people experienced mental illness as some point, many more than one, usually from an early age and relatively few sought professional help. pg7

A 1995 Australian survey of 10,000 people showed 17% of Australian adults had an anxiety, mood or substance abuse disorder in the past year. Of those most (64%) had no contact with health services; a third (29%) had seen a GP and relatively few (7%) had seen a psychiatrist. Pg 10.

Since 1995 over 30 countries have undertaken or are undertaking similar national surveys as part of the world mental health survey initiative coordinated by the WHO. pg 11.

Back to media release: Status of Maori Mental Health Launched by Ministry of Health

Back to media release: Mental Health of Pacific People Published by the Ministry of Health