Last week the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission released their latest research report ‘Te Rau Tira Wellbeing Outcomes Report 2021‘.

The report highlights the need to listen to and work alongside people with highest need and those disproportionately experiencing inequity.

“When a person or community experiences positive wellbeing, they are generally engaged with society and have good quality of life and mental health. For those experiencing negative wellbeing, the reverse is often true. Our report shows that while a substantial majority are in a positive space, too many people and their communities are not. As a country we need to address this.” – MHWC Chairperson, Hayden Wano.

Through Te Rau Tira, the Commission found that most people in Aotearoa experience good or better wellbeing across the range of measures examined; measures like life satisfaction, safety, and sense of purpose. However, some communities experience far worse wellbeing outcomes.

Most marginalised groups, such as young people, veterans, rainbow communities, Māori, Pacific peoples, former refugees and migrants, children in state care, older people, rural communities, disabled people, prisoners, and children experiencing adverse childhood events, looked at felt life is less worthwhile, and reported less security, poorer mental and overall health, and greater discrimination and barriers to wellbeing.

“Some vulnerable individuals and communities can become caught in a cycle of negative wellbeing. This is not good for them, nor for the broader community. It adversely affects, sometimes very seriously, many aspects of their quality of life, including their health. We need deliberate focus to see wellbeing increase across these communities – it’s vital to our collective health and wellbeing as a nation,” says Wano.

The report reveals a positive story of the growth of Māori collective strength, and wellbeing / oranga – while at the same time, there continues to be a disproportionate number of Māori individuals and whānau who are not doing well and are experiencing poor wellbeing across multiple dimensions.

The MHWC’s role is to assess and monitor the wellbeing of all people in Aotearoa New Zealand, using the He Oranga Wellbeing Outcomes framework.

“Our He Ara Oranga wellbeing outcomes framework was developed alongside communities and created with people with lived experience of poor wellbeing. It reflects what people say matters to them. Importantly, our framework brings together a te ao Māori view and a shared perspective view”

Te Rau Tira introduces the Commission’s vision to improve wellbeing for communities in Aotearoa New Zealand.

*Excerpts from media release provided by Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission*