The Government is pointing to falling vacancy rates and workforce growth in mental health and addiction services as signs that the system is improving.
But critics say that for many people seeking help, the experience on the ground still does not match the data.
New figures released by Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey show staffing levels have increased since the Government took office, even as families and frontline workers continue to report long waits, fragmented care, and difficulty accessing timely support.
“When I travel around the country talking about mental health and addictions, the biggest feedback I get is when people reach out in a time of need, they find a system that’s too fragmented and just takes too long to be seen,” Doocey says.
Health New Zealand data shows the mental health and addiction workforce has increased by more than 11 per cent in full-time equivalent roles since the Government took office.
Officials say the growth has eased pressure across several frontline professions. Social worker vacancy rates have fallen from more than 10 per cent to just over 5 per cent, while mental health registered nurse vacancies have dropped from almost 15 per cent in 2023 to just over 7 per cent.
Vacancies among drug and alcohol counsellors have also reduced, from more than 14 per cent to 5.5 per cent.
Despite the overall workforce gains, Māori mental health advocates say the figures risk masking long-standing inequities in access and outcomes.
Māori make up around 16 per cent of the population but account for closer to a third of people accessing secondary mental health and addiction services. Māori are also more likely to experience higher levels of psychological distress and to encounter delays when seeking culturally appropriate care.
Hineroa Hakiaha from Kāhui o te Ihi, Auckland Mental Health & Addiction Services, says who is filling the vacancies matters as much as how many roles are filled.
“Kei te kaha wō tātou whānau ki te whai mātauranga hauora, mēnā tēnā whā rau kei te kuhu mai nō konei? Nō rāwaho rānei? Mēnā kei roto i a tātou ka pai.”
E tānekaha ake ai te rāngai oranga hinengaro
E ai ki a Doocey mā te whakapakari i te rāngai oranga hinengaro e pai ake ai tā te tūroro kimi āwhinatanga.
Hei tāna anō, koia i whakatūria ai e ia ngā whāinga oranga hinengaro.
“I set up the country’s first mental health and addiction targets. Five of those targets were set up for the first time in New Zealand, three are around access,” Doocey says.
“Six hours for being admitted, discharged, or transferred within emergency departments, 80 per cent of people to be seen within three weeks for specialist support, and 80 per cent of people to be seen within one week for primary mental health and addiction support.”
E ai ki ngā tatauranga o te wā, e 83 ōrau o ngā tāngata ka whiwhi āwhinatanga kotahi wiki nō te wā i toro atu ai te ringa ki ēnei momo ratonga.
Engari hei tā Hakiaha, ko taua raruraru tonu rā, he tokoiti ngā Māori kei tēnei rāngai e mahi ana.
“Kei te kaha mātou ki te kumekume haere, kia kuhu mai, kia haere mai, ki te kimi mahi, whai mahi, i waenganui i tēnei mahi, ahakoa te taumaha me haere mai koe ngākau pai, ngākau ora me tō hiahia ki te manaaki, tiaki ia tātou.”
Workforce expansion
Workforce expansion has included more than 400 additional full-time mental health nurses and nearly 90 full-time social workers employed by Health New Zealand. Growth has also occurred in specialist training pathways. The Government funded 74 clinical psychology interns, exceeding its original 2025 target of 60.
Psychiatry training numbers have also increased, with 48 junior doctors entering Stage 1 training last year, up from 33 in 2023.
The Government prioritised the development of a mental health workforce plan in its first year following an Auditor-General’s report that found vacancy rates and wait times had worsened under the previous Government. Doocey says the latest figures indicate the plan is beginning to deliver, although pressure across the system remains high.
The Government says it will continue focusing on growing the frontline mental health and addiction workforce in 2026, with an emphasis on improving access, reducing wait times, and strengthening culturally responsive care, particularly for Māori and other communities most affected by mental distress.
