Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand

Today the Chief Coroner released the provisional suspected suicide statistics for the year. We remember the 617 people who died by suspected suicide in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past year. We send aroha to everyone who has lost someone they loved and cared for, both recently and in the past, and we acknowledge this deep pain and loss. We thank the many thousands of people throughout Aotearoa who work tirelessly in their communities to prevent suicide and offer support to those who are grieving. Arohanui. Suicide is complex and there is never one reason why someone may take their life. Together, we can continue to focus on improving and strengthening the mental health and wellbeing of our whānau, friends and communities. Suicide prevention is in action when we build strong networks of connection, reduce the stigma around suicide, equip people to support themselves and each other, and offer hope. If you’re suicide bereaved and need to talk to someone today, or any day, contact Aoake te Rā, a free service for people bereaved by suicide: https://bit.ly/3YKQ6XP If you need help, you can call or text free helplines 24/7: https://bit.ly/4f4EmVD. For ways to support yourself, or someone you care about, visit our website for free, evidence-based suicide prevention resources: https://bit.ly/3TmrqBO He murimuri aroha ki ngā taonga kua riro Our deepest sympathy to loved ones.

Aotearoa New Zealand’s mental health law, the Mental Health Act, is changing — and there are many reasons why. We’ll be releasing six videos, with six separate reasons why, for the next six weekdays — starting today! Today’s video is about how outdated the Mental Health Act is. Seen as a progressive law in the ‘90s, many of the practices allowed under the Mental Health Act are simply not acceptable by today's health care standards. Watch our video above to find out more. Want to see more reasons why the Mental Health Act needs urgent change? Head to https://lnkd.in/gBpaTZTz to learn more.

💜 It's World Mental Health Day 💜. Today, we celebrate and acknowledge the hard mahi being done to protect and improve the mental health and wellbeing of our whānau and communities. We must continue to uplift the voices of people with lived experience of mental distress and advocate for change, so everyone can access the supports they need to be well, and stay well. The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day is workplace mental health. A workplace that is respectful, non-bullying, inclusive and supportive is a safe and healthy workplace. To check out our suite of wellbeing resources, including resources on how to have a safe and supportive kōrero with someone in distress, click here: https://bit.ly/3xFohlP https://bit.ly/3TmrqBO

We send our aroha to the people of Otago - especially those who have had to evacuate their homes, those who are without power or water, and those who may be isolated due to the severe rainfall and floods.   Times like these can feel really unsettling and uncertain. You may feel anxious or worried (experience manawa pā). You may feel upset; you might feel hōhā or angry. You may feel relief if you're in the area, but your house is not affected. However you feel is completely normal and okay.   These are trying times. But it's also times like these, when a community's resilience and determination is tested, that you can see its heart. It's times like these, when we see people helping each other fill and deliver sandbags, that we see the true bonds of community pull together. He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. What's the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.   If you need some further tautoko/support, reach out to https://lnkd.in/gsQ6ctpX

🎉 THANK YOU, AOTEAROA! 🎉 Last week was Mental Health Awareness Week. We've been running it since 1993 (when there wasn’t much open kōrero about mental health), and 31 years later, it's bigger than ever. This year was all about community. We came together to define, build, and celebrate it in all its many forms. From the daily activities to the stories, events, and so much more – this year felt special. The theme was ‘Community is… what we create together,’ and that’s exactly what you showed us. It doesn't stop here. We all have mental health, and we need to look after it every single day. So, keep showing up for yourself and each other. We've got this, whānau. 💜 📸: Little Libraries Auckland

The Mental Health  Act is Aotearoa New Zealand’s mental health law. It’s widely agreed this law needs urgent change and there are many reasons why, including that it's over 30 years old and has never been comprehensively reviewed.    Yesterday, the Government released a new draft of this law, which you can read here: https://lnkd.in/g3drzFtk No matter who you are – a person who has been under the Mental Health Act, a friend or family member, or part of the media – you can help change this law for the better. To be kept updated on when you can have your say on it and get ready to make change, sign up to our advocacy e-newsletter at https://lnkd.in/gRbKVbA

For the last day of Mental Health Awareness Week 2024, we want to return to where it all started. These are the stories of Tara, Shannon, Tyson, and Wallace, and how, in the aftermath of disaster, connection lifted them up. If you’ve learned anything this week, we hope it’s this: Community is… what we create together. Arohanui, Aotearoa, for joining us this MHAW and having each other’s backs. Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi. 💜💛🤍

Our MHAW daily activities have come to an end but there’s still heaps to explore! Head to https://mhaw.nz/stories 🔗 for 70+ stories. Each year we add more, sharing the experiences of tangata whaiora and those working to give people the tools they need to thrive. Spotlighted here, we have Thriving Madly, SJ Cāfe, and The Incubator Creative Hub – three awesome organisations sharing the power of community. Check them out now! ✨

Did you catch Mental Health Awareness Week this year on a billboard? On the radio? TV? Newspaper? Street poster? That’s all thanks to our incredible media sponsors. We can’t end Whakawhetai Friday without thanking them, so from all our kaimahi – thank you! 🙏 LUMO Digital Outdoor, Warner Bros. Discovery, Bishopp, Globox Digital Billboards, JCDecaux New Zealand , New Zealand Media & Entertainment (NZME), oOh!, PHANTOM BILLSTICKERS, SeeMe Media, VAST Billboards, Jolly Billboards

It's Whakawhetai Friday! 🙏 Let's finish Mental Health Awareness Week off by thanking those around us. We used the #MHAWNZ whakawhetai poster to spread some good vibes in the park (which was totally unplanned and not scripted at all 👀). Challenge yourself to show gratitude to the people in your community today! 💜