Mental Health

About the Mental Health Group

Policy advice and implementation

The Mental Health Group provides policy advice to the Minister of Health. It is responsible for implementation of government policy through collaborative efforts with District Health Boards, and for the administration of mental health legislation. The Mental Health Group is part of the Ministry's Population Health Directorate.

The Group focuses on leading the implementation of ‘Te Tāhuhu – Improving Mental Health 2005-2015: The Second New Zealand Mental Health and Addiction Plan’ so that:

All New Zealanders in their communities can

make informed decisions to promote their mental health and wellbeing
value diversity and support and enable people with experience of mental illness and addiction to fully participate in society and in the everyday life of their communities and whānau
see a trusted and high-performing mental health and addiction sector, and have confidence that if they need them, they can access high-quality mental health and addiction services

People with experience of mental illness and addiction can

have the same opportunities as everyone else to fully participate in society and in the everyday life of their communities and whānau
experience trustworthy agencies that work across boundaries and enable service users to lead their own recovery
experience recovery-focussed mental health services that provide choice, promote independence, and are effective, efficient, responsive and timely

Whānau and friends who support, and who are affected by, people with experience of mental illness and addiction can

maintain their own wellbeing and participate in society and in the everyday life of their communities and whānau
experience agencies that operate in a way which enables them to support their family members’ recovery and maintain their own wellbeing.

Management of the legislative environment

The Mental Health Group also focuses on advice to Government on, and administration of, the legislative environment in which mental health services operate and which affects people with experience of mental illness and addiction and their whānau, friends and communities. Its work seeks to ensure protection of both human rights and safety of individuals and communities, and to achieve balance where different rights appear to be in conflict.

'Recovery' approach to mental illness - Like Minds, Like Mine project

About 47% of New Zealanders will experience a mental illness and/or an addiction at some time in their lives, with one in five people affected within one year. The impact on the individual and their family will vary from person to person, and may be extensive. Mental illnesses that commonly require support and treatment include schizophrenia, manic depression (bipolar) illness, personality disorders, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, addictions and drug-induced psychoses in the case of some people with drug addictions.

The Ministry of Health supports a ‘Recovery’ approach to mental illness. For most people, mental illness is usually ‘episodal’, in nature and a good recovery is made, in a timeframe that varies from person to person. The Ministry believes that people who have experience of mental illness and/or addictions should be able to make informed decisions that promote their mental health and wellbeing. This means that all mental health service providers must operate their services in ways that assist recovery for service users.

The stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness can be a major barrier to a person’s recovery. Therefore, in 1997, the Ministry of Health initiated the Like Minds, Like Mine project to reduce the stigma of mental illness and discrimination experienced by people with mental illness. The project’s vision is to create a nation that values and includes people with experience of mental illness. It funds a range of activities, at both a national and local level, aimed at improving attitudes and behaviour of individuals, groups and organisations towards people with experience of mental illness. For further information about the project visit www.likeminds.govt.nz.

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Page last updated: 13 September 2007