KEY POINTS:
Much progress has been made in the mental health sector during the past decade but improvements are still needed, a report says.
The Mental Health Commission report, which reviewed the decade from 1996-2006 in the wake of changes recommended in 1995 by Judge Ken Mason, noted progress had been made in services for children and young people, alcohol and drugs, early intervention in psychosis, forensics, kaupapa Maori, Pacific services and maternal mental health.
"There is still room for improvement in some areas."
But it found the overall quality of services had improved considerably.
Numbers working in the sector had also risen in the decade "despite the challenges imposed by international workforce shortages in the health sector and mental health sector".
The report said people had become more accepting of mental illness, with stigma and discrimination reduced.
Mental health consumers were now getting help from a range of community agencies rather than purely mental health services.
One disappointment was that efforts to increase quality of services and staffing had not been matched by capacity to offer services to a higher proportion of the population.
Progress had not measured up to one of the two initial goals of the mental health strategy: to decrease the prevalence of mental illness.
"The commission, however, considers that it would be harsh to claim this as a failure; no other country has demonstrably reduced mental ill health."
The second goal was to increase the health status of sufferers while reducing the impact of mental illness on others who cared for them and there had been "strong achievements" in doing that.
Commission chairwoman Ruth Harrison said the report showed good progress since 1996, particularly in the adoption of a "recovery-based" and family approach.
"Another pleasing development has been the move towards New Zealand becoming a more inclusive society for people with mental illness."
Health Minister Pete Hodgson said the country had come a long way in acknowledging mental health and addiction issues.
- NZPA
