Youth Mental Health package
17 April 2012
On 4 April Prime Minister John Key announced the Government’s new Youth Mental Health package. $62 million is going to be invested over four years in new approaches and into existing programmes to address youth mental health issues, including New Zealand's high youth suicide rate.
Speaking at the recent Youth Health & Wellbeing Symposium in Wellington, Mr Key said New Zealand's youth mental health system had many strengths,
including a dedicated workforce that was doing some great and innovative work, "but it also has weaknesses".
Mr Key has personally driven a cross government project to improve youth mental health services. It has been a direct response to a report last year from Chief Science Advisor Sir Peter Gluckman, which highlighted high rates of depression among young New Zealanders.
In response, the Government has now formulated a package of initiatives which "draws together a number of different strands of government activity, and also calls on the private sector to give our young people a helping hand".
The package will work across schools, the online environment, in families and communities and in the health system.
You can find out more about the Youth Mental Health project here.