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Prime Minister John Key. - Source: ONE News -
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Prime Minister John Key announced a modernised mental health initiative today aimed at targeting youth through social media.
The $62 million package intends to ensure young people with mental health problems receive better, faster and more modern help.
"We need to lift our game to keep up with these kids, who are quickly adopting new technology like Smartphones or using Twitter and Facebook," said Key.
The Government is setting up a Social Media Innovations Fund to help keep providers of youth services technologically up to date.
Sir Peter Gluckman, the Prime Minister's senior science advisor, said targeting young people online is the key to tackling mental health issues.
"E-therapies are as effective for mild and moderate mental disorders, and in fact much more cost effective and equally as effective as intervention."
Part of the money for the initiative will go towards developing a smartphone app and Facebook programmes.
The initiative also is designed to strengthen support for young people in schools, by adding nurses and specially-trained youth workers into lower-decile schools and establishing programmes to promote positive behaviour in the classroom.
As well as targeting social media and schools, the package aims to lift funding for primary mental health care and new wait-time targets for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service.
Human Rights Commission chief David Rutherford applauded the new initiative, saying the commission has long been concerned with the wellbeing of young people in schools.
"It's a sad reality that violence, abuse, harassment and bullying are pervasive in schools.
Rutherford said the commission will also continue to be vigilant on the issue.
However, Labour associate health spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway said the Government should be tackling the drivers of mental health.
"The Government would be looking at things like poverty and the drivers of mental illness amongst young people."
Key said the programme will be reviewed in two years to assess its effectiveness.