Youth MP’s call for overhaul of mental health services

Words by Emma Westenra (she/her) 

Mental health was at the tip of everyone’s tongues at this year’s Youth Parliament earlier this month, with over 20 youth MPs mentioning mental health in their speeches. 

Massey student Keezia Broughton, youth MP for Whanganui, described the current system as “band aid solutions to bullet wounds”.  

This year’s Youth Parliament event was marked by many speeches, dinners with ministers, controversy about censorship and silent protest in general debate. But controversies and dinners aside, there was a blatant current of anger and frustration around the mental health system from Youth MPs. 

Broughton said much of her discussions with her community surrounds mental health support and how youth are having to navigate a system that doesn’t have them in mind as resources are not community led.  

 “Aotearoa continues to have one of the highest youth suicide rates in the world, with Māori tragically being overrepresented in these statistics.” 

In the 2023/24 financial year, there were 617 suspected self-inflicted deaths in Aotearoa.   

The 2022/23 New Zealand Health Survey found that even though over a quarter of young people experience high mental health need, the percentage who can’t access support when they need it had risen by 77%. 

With 123 youth MPs, they pointed to the cost of living, addiction, unstable housing and social media as reasons why New Zealand has horrific mental health outcomes. And they called out the Government for underfunding mental health services, services that are not fit for purpose and leave many behind.  

The Government was questioned about what it will to do to create more equitable mental health services, minister for youth James Meager said “our suicide rates are a scourge”.  

Meager didn’t believe mental health was treated as an equivalate to our physical health.  

The minister pointed to the portfolio of minister for mental health, created by the current Government. He mentioned the new mental health innovation fund, set up to provide $10 million over two years to support innovative time-limited projects and initiatives aimed at improving mental health and addiction outcomes.  

The Youth MPs had some ideas of their own — creating youth led, youth designed mental health services.  

And importantly, adequately funding our current services.  

Youth MP Taiko Edwards-Haruru spoke about the devastation a 30-minute wait on a suicide crisis line can cause. He said what young people need is functioning crisis lines “not another slogan”.  

He emphasised the importance of having services grounded in culture, designing support that works for Pasifika and Māori people.  

And to drive home the significance, youth MP Dilsher Kaur asked the watching ministers: “What is more important than human lives?”