46140 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health

46140 (2024). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister of Health: Further to WPQ 5644, what progress, if any, has been made in the quarter (January to March 2024) on health promotion work programmes concerning 'mental health'?

Hon Dr Shane Reti: I am advised that during the January to March 2024 quarter, Health New Zealand progressed a large number of mental health promotion programmes: In terms of Maternal mental health (part of a joint programme with First 1000 Days): • Ongoing partnership with E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services focusing on rangatahi experiences of maternal wellbeing, and discrimination in pregnancy and parenting. • Completed a draft evidence review of Pacific maternal mental health and wellbeing. • Supporting the implementation of next steps of an Infant and Maternal Mental Health environment scan. In terms of online wellbeing: Since the depression.org.nz refresh and relaunch in December 2023, work has focused on promoting and increasing user engagement and continuous improvement of the website. Specific work includes: • Digital improvements (SEO, google analytics tracking, self-test improvements). • Content refinement with stakeholders/community. • Ongoing development of hardcopy resources. • Social media marketing. On Nōku te Ao (Stigma and discrimination): • Engaged attendees at Polyfest 2024 on the topic of supporting friends through mental health challenges. • Created the resource ‘Wayfinding through Stigma’ – a Pacific journey of understanding mental distress. • Grants projects from the 2022 round were completed, including mental health promotion in Pacific churches, community wānanga with lived experience individuals, and a community podcast on the topic of social inclusion. • Completed the report: Nga kōrero ō nga Tauira: A mental health and wellbeing survey of Māori tertiary students, including perspectives of discrimination and wairuatanga. • Data collection was undertaken, including: - An examination of urban Māori experiences of mental health and wellbeing. - Mental Health views and perspectives of Rangatahi. - Pacific Mental Health: A comparative Study & statistical study of data gleaned from the Growing up in New Zealand study. • Completed the 2023/2024 process/outcome evaluation report of the Nōku te Ao Strategy, which looks at the process success factors and outcomes from the strategy. • Delivered six wānanga, attended by 90 clinicians, on mental health stigma, discrimination, and exclusion. • Hosted a panel event for journalists to discuss how mental health reporting can contribute to stigma and discrimination attended by 35 people. • Regular engagement with lived experience networks through the Nōku te Ao Media Watch Facebook Group.