WELLINGTON, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government has taken a major step towards improving mental health and addiction services with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announcing details of a ministerial inquiry.
The Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction will be chaired by former Health and Disability Commissioner, Ron Paterson, and will report back to the government by the end of October.
"Mental health and addiction are issues for all New Zealanders," Ardern said in a statement, adding that demand for mental health services has grown rapidly in recent years, with more than 170,000 New Zealanders using mental health and addiction services over the last two years, up 71 percent on a decade earlier.
"Most of us will know a friend ... that has faced a mental health challenge in their lives. Plenty have reached out and received the support required, but too many still have unhappy stories to tell," she said, adding that mental health and addiction are often interlinked.
"Nothing is off the table. We all know we have a problem with mental health in this country and our suicide rate is shameful. It is well past time for us to do something about it," the prime minister said.
