In 2019 the New Zealand government committed an unprecedented NZ$1.9 billion to improving mental health services. This announcement brought hope to a sector that had been treated like the second-class citizen of the health service for decades. But four years later, it is clear these high hopes have not been realised. It’s easy to find Read more
Looking after your mental health is important. Kiwis “can’t afford” to lose sight of how Covid-19 impacted on this, Sir Ashley Bloomfield says. Known for his leadership during the Covid-19 crisis, Bloomfield has recently become an ambassador for a mindfulness programme for school-aged children. The Southern Cross-funded Pause Breathe Smile (PBS) programme is free and Read more
Four key factors negatively affect youth mental health, a new Auckland University study has found. The study investigated over 100 reports for the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission study. Researchers found young people’s mental health suffers mainly from: an uncertain future due to inherited social and economic challenges and climate change racism and discrimination social Read more
The Palmerston North diocese is continuing its community support following the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. The diocese sponsored a combined parent evening for Sacred Heart College and St John’s College earlier this month. The move follows generous contributions from people around the country who donated to the Diocese’s Cyclone Gabriel appeal. Palmerston North Diocese Read more
Former All Black Sir John Kirwan will visit Napier and Hastings next week for two free talks on mental health in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle. He spoke to Hawke’s Bay Today reporter Gary Hamilton-Irvine about the upcoming visit and the importance of looking after your mental health. The feeling of dread when rain hits Read more
Megan Dykes’s TikTok account is a dark place. On a recent Thursday morning, she opened the ‘For You’ page on the app and lingered over the first video that popped up: a clip of a young woman joking about wanting to cut herself. Dykes (pictured) swiped her thumb and watched another similarly gloomy post, and Read more
Mental health campaigner Mike King is offering mental health tips for parents and has questions for every one of us. The former comedian offered his advice when he joined host Simon Bridges on Stuff’s Generally Famous podcast. He also spoke of his own battle with addiction, transition from stand-up, and cancel culture. During the podcast, Read more
A tearful Mike King broke down on the radio discussing New Zealand’s latest suicide rate. The system is broken and needs to be fixed urgently, he says. Although New Zealand’s suicide rate has dropped for the third year, Māori continue to be disproportionately affected, statistics show. The deputy-chief coroner released the figures to June 30, Read more
Comedian and Author Max Dickins was about to propose to his girlfriend when he realised he didn’t have any best man options. Spending all his time between work, partner and family had destroyed his circle of friends. So Max looked into the situation and found a lot of people in the same boat. His new Read more