Mental Health Foundation: Quick Facts and Stats 2014
This page summarises some of the latest facts and statistics on
mental health and wellbeing in New
Zealand. Information on the mental health status of New Zealanders
is presented first, followed by
data on New Zealanders’ wellbeing and some of the things we’re
doing to stay well.
Mental Disorders
Mental disorders and psychological distress
Mental disorders and psychological distress are common.
In the 2012/13 New Zealand Health Survey, one in six New Zealand
adults (16%, or an estimated
582,000 adults) had been diagnosed with a common mental disorder at
some time in their lives
(including depression, bipolar disorder and/or anxiety disorder).
Women were around 1.6 times more likely to have been diagnosed with
a common mental disorder
(20%) than men (13%), and rates were higher in all age groups. The
highest rates for women were
from 35 – 44 years of age (23.8%) and for men were from 45 – 55
years of age (15.5%).
Six percent of New Zealand adults, or more than 200,000 adults,
experienced psychological distress
in the last four weeks. (People experiencing psychological distress
are highly likely to have an anxiety
or depressive disorder.)
Women were more likely to experience psychological distress than
men (7% vs 5%), and while older
people were more likely to have been diagnosed with a mental
disorder, younger people were more
likely to experience psychological distress.
Mental disorders, as a group, are the third-leading cause of health
loss for New Zealanders (11.1% of
all health loss), behind only cancers (17.5%) and vascular and
blood disorders (17.5%). Within this
group, the main conditions are: anxiety and depressive disorders
(accounting for 5.3% of health
loss), alcohol use disorders (2.1%) and schizophrenia (1.3%).
(These “burden of disease” figures,
from the Health Loss in New Zealand study, combine information on
illness, disability, and early
death, to allow comparison of how much healthy life is lost by
people with different conditions).
See also: differences between ethnic groups and deprivation
Anxiety and depressive disorders
Depression and anxiety disorders are very common. In the 2011/2012
New Zealand Health Survey,
14.3% of New Zealand adults (more than half a million people) had
been diagnosed with depression
at some time in their lives, and 6.1% (more than 200,000 people)
with anxiety disorders (including
generalised anxiety disorder, phobias, post-traumatic stress
disorder and obsessive-compulsive
disorder.
Rates were significantly higher amongst women than men 17.9% of
women have been diagnosed
with depression at some time in their lives and 7.7% with anxiety
disorder, compared with 10.4%
and 4.4% of men, respectively. The highest rates were amongst women
aged 35 – 44 years (21%) for
depression, and 25 – 54 years (9%) for anxiety disorders.
According to the Health Loss in New Zealand study, anxiety and
depressive disorders are the second-
leading cause of health loss for New Zealanders, accounting for
5.3% of all health loss, behind only
coronary heart disease (9.3%). For women, they were the leading
cause (~7%) .
Antidepressants were prescribed to 427,900 patients in the year to
30 June 2013, representing more
than a 20% increase in the last five years (348,300 patients
received prescriptions in 2008). (Data
supplied by Pharmac). It is important to note that New Zealand’s
population has also been growing
during this time, and that antidepressants are also used for other
conditions such as anxiety, pain,
and sleep disorders.
See also: differences between ethnic groups and deprivation
Health service use
The latest figures from the Ministry of Health show that 137,346
people used mental health and
addiction services in 2010/11; of whom 74,337 (54.1%) were male,
and 63,009 (45.9%) were female.
Most clients were seen face-to-face (90.3%), and DHBs were the
largest providers of mental health
services.
See also: differences between ethnic groups and deprivation
Disability
While mental disorders are common, only some people find them to be
disabling.
An estimated 242,000 people, or 5% of New Zealanders, are living
with disability caused by
psychological and/or psychiatric conditions (i.e. limitations in
their daily activities due to long-term
emotional, psychological or psychiatric conditions), according to
the 2013 Disability Survey.
For an estimated 122,000 people (13% of the disabled population),
psychological/psychiatric
disability is either their only impairment or the most limiting of
their impairments.
See also: differences between ethnic groups and deprivation
Comorbidity (more than one disorder)
It's common for people to be diagnosed with more than one health
disorder (comorbidity). People
with diagnosed mental disorders have a higher prevalence of several
chronic physical conditions,
and it is common for people to have been diagnosed with two mental
disorders.
A University of Otago study found that men and women who use mental
health services in New
Zealand have more than twice the risk of death compared with the
general population, and people
with a psychotic disorder have three times the death rate. While
suicides and accidents are
important contributors to this, the risk of deaths due to natural
causes, such as cardiovascular
disease and cancer, is also much higher (1.8 times the risk).
This is consistent with a large body of international research
which has identified multiple reasons
for premature mortality in people with mental illness, such as the
impact of higher smoking rates
and medication side effects on cardiovascular health, lack of
appropriate treatment of medical
conditions, discrimination and social deprivation.
The internationally recognised Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and
Development Study has shown
that adverse experiences during childhood, including socioeconomic
disadvantage, maltreatment
and social isolation, are associated with a cluster of mental and
physical effects, including a higher
risk of depression and immune and metabolic abnormalities
associated with poor health later in life
Suicide
Figures from the Chief Coroner 2014
Provisional figures released by the Chief Coroner show that in the
year to mid-2014, 529 New
Zealanders died by suicide (11.73 deaths per 100,000 people). This
is the lowest number since
coronial figures were first produced in 2007/08.
Provisional youth suicide numbers (people aged under 24 years) in
2013/14 were significantly lower
than last year, with 110 suicides compared with 144 in 2012/13.
There was the lowest number of
suicides in people aged 15 – 19 years (46 suicides) and 35 – 39
years (35 suicides) since coronial
records began in 2007/08. The Chief Coroner noted an increase in
the number of older people dying
by suicide in the last two years, with 97 deaths amongst people
aged over 60 years in 2013/14.
Some population groups remain at higher risk of suicide however.
The provisional suicide rate was
2.7 times higher amongst men than women in 2013/14 (17.5 deaths per
100,000 men vs 6.3 per
100,000 women), although this has dropped from being 3 times higher
prior to 2012/13). Maori and
people living in the most deprived areas are also at increased risk
of suicide: see differences
between ethnic groups and deprivation
NB. The Chief Coroner’s figures don’t provide a rate for youth
suicide, so it is not possible to make the
point that youth suicide rates are higher than for the general
population, as one can from the MOH
figures below:
Figures from Ministry of Health 2011
In 2011 (the most recent year for which MOH data are available) 478
New Zealanders died by suicide
(10.6 deaths per 100,000 people)
The suicide rate has dropped by 29.8% from a peak in 1998, and
while a drop has been seen in many
population groups, some people remain at higher risk. The suicide
rate is 3.5 higher in men than in
women, and it is higher amongst young people aged 15 – 24 years
(19.3 deaths per 100,000) than
the general population. Maori and people living in the most
deprived areas are also at increased risk
of suicide: see differences between ethnic groups and deprivation
When compared with other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD)
countries, New Zealand suicide rates for both the male and female
populations are around the
middle of the range; but New Zealand youth suicide rates do not
compare favourably.
People with mental illness are at higher risk of suicide,
particularly people with depressive/mood
disorders. A University of Otago study found that mental health
service users in New Zealand have a
suicide risk 4.4 times higher than the general population. The vast
majority of people diagnosed with
depression do not feel suicidal however.
NB: The Coroner’s figures are considerably higher than those in the
MOH report. A note at the end
of the Coroner’s press release states: “The information provided
relates to provisional suicide
figures and will slightly differ from the Ministry of Health
figures. They include active cases before
Coroners where intent has yet to be established therefore may
eventually be found not to be
suicides. In addition Ministry of Health figures are recorded by
calendar year.” So for instance:
• The MOH report says that 478 people died by suicide in the 2011
calendar year. But the
Coroner’s figures (which go mid-year to mid-year) show that for
2010/2011 the figure was
558 and for 2011/2012 it was 547.
• In the coroner’s press release they talk about the rate dropping,
and say that: “It is also the
first time the provisional suicide rate per 100,000 people is less
than 12, with a rate of
11.73 recorded.” But again, the 2011 MOH figures give a rate of
less than 12, specifically:
10.6 deaths per 100,000 population, age standardised.
The overall trend of a reducing suicide rate (overall, and in some
groups) is the same however, and
the Coroner’s figures contain some good news on youth suicide.
Differences between ethnic groups
Maori and Pacific people do less well than other New Zealanders in
some important mental health
statistics, but more Maori are seeking help from mental health
services than in the past.
In the 2012/13 New Zealand Health Survey, rates of psychological
distress in the last four weeks
were significantly higher amongst Maori adults (10%) and Pacific
adults (9%) than in the general
population (6%). Maori adults were 1.7 times as likely, and Pacific
adults 1.4 times as likely, to have
experienced psychological distress as non-Maori and non-Pacific
adults, respectively (after adjusting
for age and sex differences). People experiencing psychological
distress are highly likely to have an
anxiety or depressive disorder.
In the same survey, however, a similar percentage of Maori adults
had been diagnosed with a
common mental disorder (depression, bipolar disorder and/or anxiety
disorder) at some time in
their lives as for the general population (16%), while rates
amongst Pacific adults are considerably
lower (4%). Rates were also lower amongst Asian adults (6%).
However rates of mental health service use by Maori are rising. The
latest figures from the Ministry
of Health show that in 2010/11 Maori had the highest rate of mental
health and addiction service
use (4938 people seen for every 100,000 Maori) and Asian people the
lowest (911 people per
100,000), when compared with Pacific people and other ethnicities.
The rate of Maori seen by DHBs
also has risen at a faster rate in the last ten years (33.4% rise)
than for non- Maori (18.5%).
Maori are significantly more likely to experience
psychological/psychiatric disability (7%) than non-
Maori (5%), according to the 2013 Disability Survey.
Provisional figures from the Chief Coroner show that in the year to
30 June 2014, 108 Maori died by
suicide (18 deaths per 100,000 Maori). About one in every five New
Zealanders who die by suicide
are Maori. There were 26 suicide deaths amongst Pacific people and
22 amongst Asian people.
Ministry of Health
In 2011, 108 Maori died by suicide, a rate 1.8 times higher than
for non-Maori (16.8 per 100,000
Maori population vs 9.1 per 100,000 non-Maori population). The
Maori youth suicide rate was also
2.4 times higher than the equivalent rate for non-Maori youth (36.4
vs 15.1 per 100,000) There were
24 suicide deaths amongst Pacific people and 28 amongst Asian
people, and the small number
means rates were not calculated because they can be variable and
misleading.
Deprivation
People living in the most deprived areas of New Zealanders have
poorer health in general, including
poorer mental health, and higher levels of unmet need for health
care.
In the 2012/13 New Zealand Health Survey, 17.1% of adults living in
the most deprived areas had
been diagnosed with a common mental disorder (depression, bipolar
disorder and/or anxiety
disorder) at some time in their lives, a rate 1.6 times higher than
amongst adults living in the least
deprived areas (after adjusting for age, sex and ethnic differences).
Rates of psychological distress were also higher: 9.9% of adults
living in the most deprived areas had
experienced psychological distress in the last four weeks. The rate
was 2.5 times higher than for
those living in the least deprived areas (after adjusting for age,
sex and ethnic differences). People
experiencing psychological distress are highly likely to have an
anxiety or depressive disorder.
In 2010/11, people living in the most deprived areas were 2.7 times
more likely to be seen by mental
health and addiction services than people in the least deprived
areas (5915.3 vs 2214.5 per 100,000
population).
Figures from the Ministry of Health show that in 2011 there were
14.0 suicide deaths per 100,000
population in the most deprived areas of New Zealand, compared with
8.4 deaths per 100,000 in the
least deprived (after adjusting for age).
Interestingly though, the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and
Development Study found that, on its
own, the experience of socioeconomic disadvantage during childhood
did not increase the risk of a
person developing major depression as an adult. An increase in the
risk of depression did occur if
people experienced maltreatment or social isolation during
childhood, however
Mental health and wellbeing following the Canterbury earthquakes
(2010-2011)
The Canterbury Wellbeing Index is tracking recovery from the
earthquakes. In 2014 it reported
that:
• Levels of distress were high immediately after the earthquakes
and psychological recovery
was interrupted by the aftershocks between 2011 and 2012. And while
people’s wellbeing
was less affected by aftershocks by mid-2012, a growing number of
people were reporting
secondary stressors such as worries about insurance and the
rebuilding of their homes.
• People have also reported some positives from the earthquakes,
such as pride in their
ability to cope, a heightened sense of community, an increased
appreciation of life, and
greater family resilience.
• The number of people accessing District Health Board mental
health services did not
increase significantly immediately after the earthquakes
(2011-2012), perhaps due to
increased community cohesion and support, or the provision of
community-level services,
but demand has increased since then. Between December 2012 and
December 2013
there was a 7% increase in the number of people accessing mental
health services.
The Christchurch Health and Development Study, which has followed
the lives of a group of New
Zealanders now 35-year old, found that the rate of mental disorders
in people with high levels of
exposure to the Canterbury earthquakes was appropriately 1.4 times
higher than for people who
were not exposed. This was attributable to increases in four
conditions: major depression, post-
traumatic stress disorder, other anxiety disorders and nicotine
dependence.
A University of Otago study after the earthquakes, which asked 50
year-old Christchurch residents
about various aspects of their health, found that post-earthquake
Cantabrians had significantly
poorer mental health compared with national averages, and that this
was the single greatest
difference between the two groups.
The 2012 Quality of Life Survey asked residents of six large New
Zealand cities about their lives
(Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Porirua, and Hutt
City). Twenty one percent of all
people surveyed said that their quality of life had decreased in
the last twelve months (“decreased
significantly” or “decreased to some extent”), but the rate was
significantly higher for people
living in Christchurch (35%). Two thirds of Christchurch residents
reported positive emotional
wellbeing, saying they were “happy” or “very happy”; a slightly
lower proportion than across all
six cities.
A study of six communities affected by the earthquakes found that a
‘virtuous circle’ developed in
communities with strong pre-existing connectedness, community and
iwi (tribal) infrastructure, and
a comprehensive community response to the disaster. In these
communities, taking part in
community support and responses enhanced the wellbeing and sense of
belonging of both givers
and receivers, and led to further community involvement. Many
people who took part in the study
spoke of the importance of connecting, giving, and being active as
coping strategies – three of the
five ways to wellbeing described in more detail below.
According to provisional figures from the Chief Coroner, there were
69 suicides in Christchurch in
the year to 30 June 2014, up one from 2012/13. The Christchurch
suicide rate prior to the
February 2011 earthquake oscillated between 69 and 90 per year
since figures were first reported
in 2007/8 (Chief Coroner, 2014).
Wellbeing
Many New Zealanders feel satisfied with, and positive about, their
lives.
• In the 2012 New Zealand General Social Survey, an estimated 87%
of New Zealanders were
‘satisfied’ (54%) or ‘very satisfied’ (33%) with their lives, and
four aspects of life were
important in determining the level of satisfaction: health, money,
relationships, and housing.
• In the 2012 Quality of Life Survey, 80% of residents from six
major New Zealand cities rated
their overall quality of life positively, with 61% considering it
to be good and 19% extremely
good, and the majority (71%) of residents rated themselves as
having a positive emotional
wellbeing with 54% happy and 17% very happy”.
The OECD Better Life Index showed that when asked to rate their
general satisfaction with life New
Zealanders give it a grade of 7.3 on a possible scale of 0 to 10,
higher than the OECD average of 6.6
and placing us 12th out of 36 countries behind the Scandinavian
countries, Australia, Mexico, and
Canada.
In the same research, 85% of New Zealanders said they had more
positive experiences in an average
day (feelings of rest, pride in accomplishment, enjoyment etc.)
than negative ones (pain, worry,
sadness, boredom, etc.), more than OECD average of 76% and amongst
the most positive in the
OECD along with Iceland and Japan
International research has identified five simple things we can do
as part of our everyday lives to
boost our mood and sense of wellbeing, and in New Zealand, each of
these is associated with a
higher level of wellbeing: connect, give, take notice, keep
learning, and be active.
Connect – talk and listen, be there, feel connected
Approximately three out of four New Zealanders say the amount of
contact they have with friends
and family who do not live with them is “about right”, but around
20% want more contact and only
2% felt they had too much contact (2012 New Zealand General Social
Survey)
Thirty one percent of New Zealanders felt lonely a little, some,
most, or all of the time in the last
month. People more likely to feel lonely include younger people,
women, people living in rented
accommodation, one-parent families, and unemployed people.
In the 2010 Quality of Life Survey of residents from eight New
Zealand cities, just over half (54%) said
that family was one of the three main components that contributed
to their quality of life.
In the 2012 Quality of Life Survey of residents from six large New
Zealand cities, around half (53%)
felt a sense of community with people in their local neighbourhood.
The top reasons for not feeling a
sense of community were: a busy life (42%), people in the
neighbourhood not talking with each
other (41%) and a preference for socialising with family and
friends (37%).
In the same survey, the most common social networks people belong
to were: people from work or
school (47%), online networks such as social media, gaming and
forums (46%), and sports clubs or
hobby/interest groups (27%).
In the 2012 New Zealand General Social Survey, most New Zealanders
(96.2%) felt that in a time of
crisis there was someone outside their own home they could turn to
for help
In the Sovereign Wellbeing Index study of New Zealanders’
wellbeing:
• Thirty percent of New Zealanders connect with friends, relatives
or work colleagues more
than once per week.
• Middle-aged people (30–59 years of age) connect less than younger
or older people, people
with higher incomes connect more, and fewer Asian people connect
regularly than do
European New Zealanders.
• Less than half of New Zealanders (39.3%) feel people in their
local area help one another
and three out of four New Zealanders do not feel close to people in
their local area
• There is a steady increase in wellbeing as people connect more
often; for instance, the
average wellbeing score for people who connect several times a week
is 46.8 compared with
39.9 for people who connect less than once a month.1
Give – your time, your words, your presence
The 2012 New Zealand General Social Survey found that 30.6% of New
Zealanders had done
voluntary work for a group or organisation in the past month, and
62.2% had done unpaid work for
someone living in another household (Statistics New Zealand, 2013).
In 2008, the same survey
showed that people who did voluntary work had higher levels of life
satisfaction (89.5%) than people
who did not (84.2%).
Thirty six percent of people donated money, and 16% donated goods,
to a charity or worthy cause in
the final quarter of 2013, according to the latest quarterly figures
from the Department of Internal
Affairs
In the Sovereign Wellbeing Index study of New Zealanders’
wellbeing, people were asked to what
extent they give help and support to those close to them when this
is needed.
• People’s wellbeing increased as they gave more, with people who
gave “completely” having
an average wellbeing score of 46.7, compared with 24.7 for people
who do not give any help
and support.2
• One in seven New Zealanders gave often. Giving increased with
age, with more people aged
40 years and over offering help compared with people aged 18-20
years, more females and
males gave, giving was the same regardless of income, and more
Maori and Pacific people
gave compared with other ethnic groups.
New Zealanders rank highly for generosity on the international
stage. In the World Giving Index 2013
which compared data from 135 countries, New Zealand ranked second
equal with Canada and
Myanmar, with a score of 58%, behind only the United States on 61%.
The United Kingdom ranked
sixth and Australia seventh. New Zealand’s ranking reflects high
participation in helping a stranger
(67% of people), as well as donating money (67%) and volunteering
time (40%).
Take notice – remember the simple things that give you joy
There is growing evidence that mindfulness can produce positive
life changes such as reduced stress
and anxiety, and the ability to cope with difficult life events. An
overview can be found in the 2011
Mental Health Foundation paper: An overview of mindfulness-based
interventions and their
evidence base
A recent meta-analysis of 47 clinical trials around the world
concluded that mindfulness meditation
programmes can produce small to moderate improvements in multiple
aspects of psychological
stress, including anxiety, depression, pain, stress/distress and
mental health-related quality of life.
Relatively little research on mindfulness appears to have been done
in New Zealand to date, but:
Consistent with overseas research, a study in New Zealanders with a
range of chronic physical
illnesses found that training in mindfulness-based stress reduction
helped to reduce levels of
depression, anxiety, stress, and pain/discomfort, and improved
physical and social functioning along
with mental health, energy, vitality and overall health.
Dr Ross Bernay from AUT is working with the Mental Health
Foundation to pilot a mindfulness
programme in six New Zealand schools, with the aim of helping to
children increase their focus and
attention and learn to work with others compassionately.
Work on a kaupapa Maori mindfulness based stress programme project
is underway by researchers
at Eastern Institute of Technology. PC: Not sure if there’s really
enough evidence to include this. I
just found it in this 2013 news item about a conference
presentation in late 2012 (couldn’t find more
details of the conference online) :
http://www.eit.ac.nz/research/kaupapa-maori-mindfulnessbased-
stress-programme-project/ It is being done by T Mapel, who is an author
on the above
published paper, so it looks legit. But I cannot find Mapel when I
search staff at EIT.
In the Sovereign Wellbeing Index study of New Zealanders’ wellbeing
people were asked on a
typical day how often they take notice of and appreciate their
surroundings (scores from 0 “never’ to
10 “always”):
• Around 40% of people took notice often (score of 8 or more); more
people aged 60 years
and older took notice often, as did more Maori and Pacific people
compared with other
ethnic groups. There was little difference with income.
• People’s wellbeing increased as they took notice more, with
people who did so “always”
having an average wellbeing score of 48.1, compared with 28.0 for
people who “never” took
notice.3
Keep learning – embrace new experiences, see opportunities,
surprise yourself
In the 2013 Census, 9.8% of New Zealanders reported being in full
time study and 3.5% were in parttime
study.
Adult and Community Education (ACE) Aotearoa, which provides
community-based education in
schools, communities, institutes and wananga, estimated that in
2013 they had more than 58,000
adult learners taking part in more than 12,000 programmes – from te
reo Maori to beekeeping and
website design. A survey showed that taking part in the courses
boosted peoples’ confidence in their
ability to learn, to use their skills, and to speak – with whanau,
friends and at work – as well as their
participation levels in solving problems, helping others, and
taking control of their lives.
Lifelong learning is about much more than formal education,
however, and includes learning new
things in all areas of life. In the Sovereign Wellbeing Index study
of New Zealanders’ wellbeing
• People were asked to what extent they learn new things in life
and 44% said they were
learning a great deal.
• There was little difference in the proportion of people who were
learning new things
regularly across different age groups or income brackets. More
Maori and Pacific people
(47.5%) and Asian people (53.2%) reported learning new things often
than did European
people (42.3%)
• People’s wellbeing increased as they learned new things more
often. People who learned a
great deal had an average wellbeing score of 47.6, compared with
27.0 for people who never
learned new things.4
Be active – do what you can, enjoy what you do, move your mood
In the 2012/13 New Zealand Health Survey, about half of all New
Zealand adults (52%, or around
1,800,000 adults) reported being physically active for at least 30
minutes on five or more days in the
past week. Men were more likely to be physically active (56%) than
women (48%), and physical
activity levels declined with age but 38% of adults aged 75 years
and over were still physically active.
This is consistent with the 2007/2008 Active New Zealand Survey,
which found that many New
Zealanders participate in sport and recreation activities:
• Almost all (96%) New Zealander adults participated in one or more
sport or recreation
activity over twelve months, and 79% participated in any week.
• There were high participation levels in a mixture of sport and
recreation activities, the most
popular being: walking (64.1%), gardening (43.2%), swimming
(34.8%), equipment based
exercise (26.5%), cycling (22.7%), fishing (19.3%), jogging/running
(17.5%) and dance
(16.8%).
• Almost half of New Zealanders (48.2%) met the national guidelines
for physical activity,
participating in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical
exercise on five or more
days of the week. More men than women met the guidelines (52% vs
44%) as did more
Maori (53.5%) and Pacific people (52.6%) than the general
population.
• Four in ten adults (39.1%) did not meet the recommended level of
activity, but still achieve
at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity over
seven days.
In the Sovereign Wellbeing Index study of New Zealanders’
wellbeing, people’s wellbeing increased
with even small increases in activity level. People who engaged in
high levels of exercise had an
average wellbeing score of 47.1, compared with 42.8 for people with
very low levels of exercise.
Even low levels of exercise boosted wellbeing to 45.0.
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