One in two NZers severely stressed, depressed in last year

Te Whanganui a Tara – One in two New Zealanders have been severely stressed or depressed in last year, according to a new survey.

Kiwis are thinking about their mental wellbeing more often than a year ago, however fewer think about their physical wellbeing, the study shows.

New Zealand males are less likely to think about their mental health than females, who are above the global average.

The Ipsos global advisor study regularly asks respondents from around the world, including New Zealand, for their views on different topics.

Ipsos has conducted this study to understand perceptions around mental health and wellbeing, as well as factors that impact it.

More than 20,000 people across 30 countries were surveyed. A 1000 Kiwis 18 and over participated in the survey.

Key finding include:

• In New Zealand, our young people, and those under the age of 50, are more likely to think about their mental health than this time last year, and more often than the global average.

• Despite most New Zealanders having the view that mental and physical health are equally important, only one in five believe physical wellbeing and mental wellbeing are given equal importance in our health care system, one of the lowest ratings globally.

• More than half of New Zealanders have felt stressed to the point where it had an impact on how they live their daily life (56 percent) and where they felt like they could not cope / deal with things (53 percent). One in four New Zealanders reported having seriously considered suicide or self-hurt in the last year.

• Young people’s experiences with mental health issues are considerably more pronounced. Three quarters of our young people (aged 18-34) have felt stressed to the point that is has impacted on their daily life and made them feel unable to cope, with 40 percent saying that they have seriously considered suicide or self-harm in the last year.

• While New Zealand women and young people are more likely to have experienced mental health issues, they are also more likely to have taken action, such as talk to friends / family, taking time off` work, talking to a primary health care provider or taking medication.

• Concern about personal finances is now considered to be the biggest impact on New Zealanders’ mental wellbeing, likely related to the increased cost of living.