Factors like how close young people live to health-constraining environments like alcohol outlets, gambling venues, and takeaway outlets are significant. Photo / Glenn Taylor
Factors like how close young people live to health-constraining environments like alcohol outlets, gambling venues, and takeaway outlets are significant. Photo / Glenn Taylor
Opinion:
Growing numbers of rangatahi Māori are struggling with mental health distress, with more than a quarter reporting depressive symptoms.
Young Māori and their whānau seeking help often face barriers to accessing support services and long wait times for youth specialist mental healthcare.
New research is seeking to understand how the physical environment that young people grow up in may affect their mental health. Factors like how close young people live to health-constraining environments like alcohol outlets, gambling venues, and takeaway outlets. Or whether living near health-promoting environments like green spaces (e.g. parks), blue spaces (e.g. rivers and lakes), physical activity facilities, and fruit and vegetable outlets are related to positive wellbeing.
Researchers from the University of Otago, University of Canterbury, and University of Auckland are undertaking nationwide studies using geospatial information linked to the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) to look at mental health outcomes for all young people aged 10-24 years in New Zealand.
Otago Associate Professor Reremoana (Moana) Theodore. Photo / Supplied
Their latest findings show that young people living in health-constraining environments are more likely to experience many mental health problems and emotional conditions (e.g. depression and anxiety), while young people living in health-promoting environments are less likely to have substance problems.
What does this mean for rangatahi Māori and Pasifika youth? Future research that will be led by Māori and Pasifika research team members will examine whether these findings are the same for rangatahi Māori and Pasifika youth specifically.
Māori and Pasifika youth are more likely to live in economically deprived areas than their non-Māori non-Pasifika peers. The researchers will look at whether they are also more likely to live in health-constraining versus health-promoting environments, and whether this is related to their mental wellbeing.
The researchers hope that these studies will provide information to communities to help them influence change including alcohol regulations in their neighbourhoods.
The study findings can also inform cross-sectoral government policies and public health measures that promote health-enhancing environments. That is, creating environments that can firstly reduce the burden on rangatahi Māori and Pasifika youth, and their whānau, who are already affected by mental health distress and secondly prevent mental health issues in the first place, by promoting overall youth well-being.
Recommendations include ensuring that government agencies are resourced and co-ordinated and include young people in their decision-making processes.
The recommendations also focus on addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges, now and in the future, such as climate change.
Associate Professor Reremoana (Moana) Theodore (Ngāpuhi). Director National Centre for Lifecourse Research (NCLR), University of Otago. Additional research by Dr Matthew Hobbs, Dr Nick Bowden, Dr. Lukas Marek, Dr. Jesse Wiki, Dr Jesse Kokaua, Dr. Troy Ruhe, Professor Jo Boden, Dr Hiran Thabrew, Associate Professor Sarah Hetrick, and Associate Professor Barry Milne.
