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The Mental Health Foundation is calling for research to be carried out on the effects of Tasers on people suffering mental health issues.
The foundation's chief executive Judi Clements said of the 101 times the Taser has been used by police, 14 of the incidents have involved people with mental health problems.
"We're not happy about the Taser being used because we don't know the long-term effects or how it affects people on medication," Ms Clements said.
The foundation is not dismissing the problems front-line police officers face but Ms Clements said there are other methods the police are trained to use, including talking.
"There's still research that needs to be done," Ms Clements said.
Auckland University's Centre for Mental Health Research director Dr Brian McKenna said he has just applied for funding to look into the use of force when dealing with mental health patients. He said the study could include the use of Tasers.
Dr McKenna said there needs to be a full evaluation of the police's trial of the Taser and possible long-term effects need to be looked at.
"We need good descriptive, non-emotional accounts of who has been affected and in what circumstances," he said.
The police have used the Taser 15 times since April 10, two of those occasions involved people suffering from mental health problems.
In one incident a police officer reported being confronted by a woman holding two knives to her stomach. The officer took the Taser out of his holster out of sight of the woman.
The woman then moved the knife closer to her stomach and the officer fired the Taser. When the woman saw the taser she dropped the knives.
In another incident police were called by a mental health nurse after a man reportedly began smashing up property. The officer tried talking to the man but was abused. The man then started walking towards the police officer.
The man got less than a metre from the officer and swung his fist which glanced of the officer's head. The officer Tasered the man and handcuffed him.
Inspector Terry O'Neil is the project manager of the Taser trial and said police are looking at commissioning their own research into the effects of the Taser.
"We are currently negotiating with a research group attached to the ministry of health. At the present time we are working through the privacy and confidential issues," Mr O'Neil said.
He said extensive records have been kept on people who have been Tasered and after the Taser trial ends - on August 31 - police hope to talk to officers and some of the people who have been Tasered.
Mr O'Neil said when police are called by a mental health professional to an incident, they get advice from the professional on how to treat the person.
"If the person is Tasered they must be medically examined," Mr O'Neil said.
