More than 400,000 Kiwis seek help or advice from the Mental Health Foundation every year, a number the organisation says is increasing 10 to 20 per cent annually.
The foundation's CEO, Shaun Robinson, says the challenges of the modern world, which are made worse by worries over Covid-19, lead to the kind of trauma fueling New Zealand's mental health crisis.
"Up to 2500 people contact us every year specifically to ask what services are available while around 400,000 come to us for information on how to deal with these problems," he says. "These interactions with Kiwis are up by 10 to 20 per cent every year.
"This together with our research tells us the level of need in the community is growing rapidly. For us it is a mix of positive (that people are prepared to seek help) and negative because the need is so great."
His comments come as the foundation is promoting Five Ways to Wellbeing. These steps - connect, give, take notice, keep learning and be active - are designed to help people deal with mental health issues more effectively and to speed their recovery.
They also come following the recent Mental Health Awareness Week and a campaign in support of that event initiated by Countdown supermarket staff throughout the country to raise funds for mental health (the company also donated $100,000 to the foundation).
Robinson says research conducted in 2006 revealed that 21 per cent of all Kiwis over 18 will experience severe mental distress in their lives, a percentage he believes will have gone up significantly since then.
As well, he says, between 50 and 80 per cent of New Zealanders can expect some period of mental difficulty in their lifetime. "A lot of people are shocked by these figures, but I'm not."
He says young people in particular face a very uncertain world. "No generation has experienced the kind of things people are coping with today.
"Not only are they dealing with the same things previous generations did like 'who am I?' and 'what do I do with my life?' but they are confronting climate and massive economic change and the challenge of determining what is true and what is not in the streams of information, or misinformation, on social media platforms.
"Now they are also dealing with Covid," Robinson says. "While there has always been mental stress apparent through the generations, today young people live in a world that is much more challenging and in which all of these things together can create trauma," Robinson says.
He says while it is important for New Zealand to increase the range of services available to those with mental health issues, it is also vital to promote ways in which people can build their own wellbeing.
He says the Five Ways to Wellbeing are a series of simple, easy to remember steps for people to carry out to help with their wellbeing so "we are not at the mercy of our emotions. They are not rocket science, but are based on science."
The steps were created following research published in 2008 by a British-based think-tank, the New Economic Foundation (NEF). The organisation promotes social, economic and environmental justice and based its findings on a report entitled Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing.
Robinson says the steps are:
Connect: "It is good to connect with people who make you feel valued. Humans are social animals and gain a lot from feeling part of a community or group, be it a church, a marae or a sports club."
Give: "Carrying out acts of kindness, small or large, can increase happiness and a sense of wellbeing. Thinking of others and putting energy into that proves the wisdom of the saying 'to give is to receive'."
Take Notice: "Take time to be in the present moment and appreciate the little things each day that give you joy. I always try to notice something about nature, even something small like the feeling of the sun on my face."
Keep Learning: "Our brains are designed to be curious and inquisitive. So, keep it open to new ideas; it might be a new hobby or doing something like learning a musical instrument. Embrace new experiences, remain curious and set goals."
Be Active: "Being physically active is well proven to boost wellbeing and decrease stress, depression and anxiety. It's not about being an athlete; rather we say 'do what you can and enjoy what you do'."
To donate to the Countdown mental health fund-raising campaign go to Food for good.