Te Puāwaiwhero:
The Second Māori Mental Health and Addiction National Strategic Framework 2008-2015 reinforces current mental health and Māori health policy. This includes the overall aim of He Korowai Oranga, and whānau ora: Māori families supported to achieve their maximum health and wellbeing, and Te Tāhuhu - Improving Mental Health.
Te Puāwaiwhero concentrates on prioritised actions from Te Kōkiri to address Māori mental health population need matched with most recent evidence from Te Rau Hinengaro - The New Zealand Mental Health Survey, launched in 2006.
Similarly to Te Kōkiri, Te Puawaiwhero was developed in partnership with DHBs alongside key people in the Māori mental health and addiction sector.
New Māori Mental Health Needs Profile
Knowing the evidence is key to ensuring that future planning for Māori mental health and investment into mental health promotion, prevention, primary health care and specialist services is placed in the right direction.
This report undertaken by Dr Joanne Baxter provides a tool to assist DHBs meet the requirements of The New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000. The Act requires DHBs to have a population health focus and reduce health inequalities by improving the health outcomes of Māori.
It will also assist decision makers, policy developers, planners and funders plan well and draws together the most recent evidence from a population and service use perspective
Key Results
Youthful population
As a population Māori have a relatively young age structure, and so patterns of mental health needs differ from those of the total population and from non-Māori (which reflects an older population structure). As an example of this youthful age structure:
- one in three Māori is under 15 years old
- one in two Māori is under 23 years old.
For all people living in New Zealand, Māori make up a greater proportion of the younger age groups. Conversely, the Māori proportion decreases among older age groups. For example:
- one in five of all people under 30 years is Māori
- one in six of all people between 10 and 30 years is Māori
- one in 20 of all people 60 years and over is Māori.
The youthfulness of the Māori population has significant implications for ensuring Māori mental health need is prioritised for tamariki, rangatahi and their whānau.
Socioeconomic position
Socioeconomic position is a determinant of mental health, and Māori are disproportionately represented among low socioeconomic groups: one in every three to four people in deciles 9 and 10 are Māori. Māori therefore bear a disproportionate burden of risk for mental ill health issues due to socioeconomic risk.