Source: Te Hiringa Mahara – Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission
Following the release of the Office of the Director of Mental Health and Addiction Services: Regulatory Report today, Te Hiringa Mahara is renewing its call for improvements to address concerning trends for Māori and Pacific peoples.
The report shows Māori are 6.6 times, and Pacific peoples are 1.7 times, more likely to be placed in seclusion (solitary confinement) than non-Māori and non-Pacific peoples, which remains a stark indicator of entrenched inequities within the system.
“Today’s report provides an unprecedented level of detail, and clearly shows Māori continue to be disproportionately subjected to some of the most harmful practices in our mental health system,” says Director Mental Health and Addiction Sector Leadership, Sonya Russell.
“Māori account for 55 percent of all adults placed in seclusion, despite making up just 17 percent of the population. Māori are also more likely than any other group to be subject to compulsory assessment and treatment orders.
“Te Hiringa Mahara has consistently advocated for practices such as seclusion and compulsory treatment can cause harm and undermine dignity.
In its submission on the Mental Health Bill, Te Hiringa Mahara called for an end to seclusion in Aotearoa, and a significant reduction, and eventual phase-out, of compulsory community treatment orders.
“We must move away from coercive responses to mental distress and invest in approaches that are early, supportive, and, most importantly, grounded in dignity.
“Māori and Pacific peoples should not continue to be unfairly disadvantaged in a system that is not working for them.
“Te Hiringa Mahara is calling for commitment to ensure seclusion is eliminated within a specified timeframe under the Mental Health Act. We must ensure our services can provide culturally safe, trauma-informed care which upholds human rights.
“We need robust investment into community-based, peer-led, Kaupapa Māori services and social support and ensure access to safe and secure housing, meaningful social engagement, and employment,” says Ms Russell.
Notes:
– 5.8% of Māori accessed specialist mental health and addiction services, compared with 2.8% of non-Māori.
– In the 2023/24 financial year, Māori were more likely to undergo compulsory assessment than other ethnicities.
– Māori were 1.9 times more likely than Pacific peoples and 2.3 times more likely than other ethnicities to be subject to a community CTO (section 29)
– Māori were 1.6 times more likely than Pacific peoples and 2.1 times more likely than other ethnicities to be subject to an inpatient CTO (section 30).
– Māori were more likely than non-Māori to be secluded. They also had more seclusion events, on average, and had longer periods of seclusion.
– The rate of seclusion for Māori in adult inpatient services was 62.8 people per 100,000 people in the general population. Māori were 6.6 times more likely to be secluded than non-Māori, who had a rate of 9.6 people per 100,000. Notes: The data excludes forensic services and regional intellectual disability secure services.
