MEDIA RELEASE
28 August 2022
Report - Why Do Our Young Lead Developed World In Poor Mental Health?
In 2020, UNICEF ranked New Zealand last of 38 developed countries in child mental well-being. In a new report for Family First, “Child and Youth Mental Health: Why New Zealand's young lead the developed world in poor mental health”, researcher Lindsay Mitchell explores the UNICEF claim.
"What I found was NZ has the worst youth suicide, self-harm and bullying statistics. Mental disorders have risen significantly, as has consumption of antidepressants and anti-psychotics. These increases are above what is occurring in the general population,” says Lindsay Mitchell.
The report gathers data from the New Zealand Health Survey, Mental Health and Addiction Services monitoring reports, Pharmac, DHBs, various longitudinal studies, Oranga Tamariki, MSD and Youth 2000 surveys.
"On the available evidence, New Zealand undoubtedly faces a mental health crisis among the young. But this may be just part of the picture. For instance, the Growing Up in New Zealand study has lost touch with hundreds of children who are the most likely to be suffering poor mental health due to exposure to accumulating adverse experiences associated with transience; multiple parental relationship transitions; young, deprived, and poorly educated mothers who disproportionately experience hardship and depression.”
“According to Oranga Tamariki, '…the alcohol and drug issue is prolific / increasing' among Family Start clients, and various data suggests thousands of babies are exposed to alcohol and other substances in utero."
"This first scenario describes an environment that elevates the risk of children developing poor mental health,” says Lindsay.
"A second scenario is of a more pervasive depression and anxiety problem exacerbated less by mayhem and material deprivation, and more by recent developments such as social media-driven poor self-image, heightened sensitivity to parental and/or peer pressure, fear of failure, climate change anxiety and confusion over sexual and gender identity. The second group may also be dealing with separated parents, torn loyalties, school and home-life upheaval and adapting to stepsiblings."
“Based on the extensive data presented, both of these groups - which no doubt overlap - are growing, along with unmet need and wait times for treatment. New questions are arising regarding the effectiveness of medication and lack of alternative therapies. There are suggestions that over-reliance on medication is reducing capacity for self-help.”
"But most importantly, a reversal of this upward surge demands a wider appraisal and acknowledgement of societal changes that have lessened the likelihood that children will experience material and emotional security and stability throughout their formative years. If children were genuinely placed at the centre of the family, given time, given unconditional love, given space to explore but surety to return to, there may still be no guarantees. But the odds of that child developing good mental health will massively increase."
5 comments:
I object to the idea that meditation should be avoided. I have had depression my whole life, I am not managing because of proper medication. It caused me serious problems when I was young, but only received alternative treatments to help. I believe that if I had proper medication when younger I would have a better life now.
Agree with "Unknown". If I had not been prescribed appropriate medication, I would not be here now. [At least I think from reading the article, he/she meant medication not mediation]
Such medication was frowned apon even then in the field I was working in, and it took my other half to drag me along to the doctors.
I still suffer from bouts of depression, but no longer to the point of putting the muzzle of a rifle in my mouth and see how many times I can pull the trigger.
I have long moved away from that location and doctor, and my current one is not a great believer in medication for this.
She had me on some on-line mental health/depression program where the best way I can describe it, was where a series of queries were posed, and the final answer allowed you to progress to the next stage.
I never made it past stage one, as my answers never aligned with what they wanted unless I lied.
Honestly, I couldn't see the point - But I guess it got some academic his doctorate...
Thank you for those comments. The report canvasses views from SOME psychologists and psychiatrists questioning an over-reliance on medication. But I would also point out that the report is about children and youth. Adolescence is a time when anxiety and depression are disproportionately and often temporarily experienced. The problem suggested is that with resources stretched so thin currently, antidepressants are prescribed but not followed up on.
In my own family I have seen medication allowing the individual to function to a degree that makes them very reluctant to go without and I wouldn't deny them.
Hi Lindsay
Thank you for your research and contribution to this very important topic which gets glossed over lightly by our MSM. I appreciate your confirming that Parents and by definition, functional two parent families are the best environment in which to raise children, teenagers and young adults.
This fact is so obvious, so plain clear and obvious that you would expect someone even with the IQ of a politician to understand it. For those that do understand, it would appear the current political zeitgeist prevents all but the most courageous from publicly affirming the natural two parent family.
That would be discriminatory.
Since when has discriminating in favour of a good thing been a bad thing? For about forty years. And how is that working out for us, for our children?
Keep up the good work!
There's just NO help available. It's all window dressing and expensive advertising campaigns.
Policy is not procedure.
We have an innate disfunction in family life in NZ, in schools, communities and workplaces.
It is impossible for a child to see themselves as worthwhile when the very people who are supposed to nurture and care for all aspects of their development, don't. Then there's 'tall poppy' syndrome, smashing down (literally and figuratively) those who dare to succeed.
https://downtheslipperyslope.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-violence-of-new-zealand-culture.html
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