A survey of 540 New Zealand psychiatrists found that 94 per cent believe current resourcing is not suitable, according to the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.

“Without enough hands on deck, mental health workers feel demoralised and distressed, especially when they’re unable to adequately care for their most vulnerable patients,” Chair of Tu Te Akaaka Roa, Dr Hiran Thabrew, said. 

Proper investment in providing accessible healthcare returned a five-dollar return for every dollar spent,  Dr Thabrew said.

“Every productivity-focused decision a workplace makes, and every employment-related policy a Government releases impacts workers’ mental health.”

Workforce shortages are the main barrier to providing timely and accessible mental health care for the growing number of 260,000 New Zealanders in need, he said. 

“We must ensure that workplaces that prioritise the safety and wellbeing of their workers are the norm.”

“Work-related demands, job insecurity and long hours can be a major cause of mental health problems.”

On World Mental Health Day, October 10, the New Zealand National Committee of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists is urging the New Zealand Government to do more.

“As psychiatrists, we acknowledge the collective efforts of the entire mental health workforce, including nursing, psychology, psychotherapy, occupational therapy, social work, lived experience, carers and our first Minister for Mental Health.”

Nearly two-thirds of acute on-call workers reported a significant decrease in staffing levels, while 90% noted an increase in demand for after-hours work, Dr Thabrew said.

“Despite being responsible for providing vital mental health care, mental health workers are more vulnerable to stress, burnout, and mental illness compared to the general population.”

“This impedes their ability to provide timely and effective care.”

The Luxon-led government needs to do more to attract, train and retain mental health workers across Aotearoa New Zealand, Dr Thabrew said.

“We call on the Luxon-led Government to listen to the voices of mental health workers about recent challenges posed by decreased staffing levels and delayed recruitment to vacant positions in mental health services.”