WELLNESS WE W WELL E LL L L NE N SS
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Keeping well over winter
Health is at the forefront of everyone’s ryone’s ublic h ealth minds with an overhaul of the public health system, the Covid-19 pandemic and, of ter illnesses course, the myriad of other winter that are making their rounds. Writes Ruby Harfield
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n July 1 The Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act took effect, establishing four new entitities: • A new Public Health Agency within the Ministry to lead and strengthen public health. • Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand as the national organisation to lead and coordinate delivery of health services across the country. • Te Aka Whai Ora - the Māori Health Authority as an independent statutory authority to drive improvement in Hauora Māori. • A new Ministry for Disabled People to provide a wider lens on disability across Government and drive transformation of the disability support system. The country’s 20 District Health Boards have been disestablished. Health Minister Andrew Little said the health system had become complex and fragmented. “Twenty different district health boards meant the healthcare you got depended on where you lived. “It was a postcode lottery and a true nationwide health service will change that.” The overhaul was initiated after a Government commissioned Health and Disability System Review in 2018 found there were 20 disconnected health systems in New Zealand that didn’t put patients at the heart of healthcare. Covid-19 has also been putting a strain on the health system as well as on individuals. Research has found that mental wellbeing has become a top ten concern for New Zealanders. The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand chief executive Shaun Robinson said after two years of pandemic stress, this is no surprise. “There’s been a dramatic increase in the number of New Zealanders with poor mental wellbeing; from 27 per cent struggling in February 2021 to 36 per cent in February 2022. “This is on top of the pre-Covid statistics; we’ve known for some time that 20 percent of us experience diagnosable mental distress in any year.” The compounding effects of the pandemic, economic pressures and extended periods of isolation is having a profound influence on mental health, he said. “Lives and livelihoods have been disrupted, our ways of connecting with each other are changing
isatio on that t at th a we cannot return to and there’s a realisation es. s.”” our pre-Covid lives.” n poor poor mental men enta tall wellbeing well we llbe bein ing g le led d th the e The increase in Mental Health Foundation unda un dati tion on and and Ministry Min inis istr tryy of Health Hea ealt lth h to develop the Alll Sorts Sor orts ts campaign cam ampa paig ign n and and website webs we bsit ite e to assist people with wit ith h their thei th eirr mental ment me ntal al wellbeing wel ellb lbei eing ng iin n nde demi mic. c. the midst of a pandemic. Sort So rtss is to to provide prov pr ovid ide e to tool olss an and d The goal of All Sorts tools tips to reassure people eopl eo ple e that that whatever wha hate teve verr th they ey are are feeling is normal,, and and give giv ive e th them em sstrategies trat tr ateg egie iess to build their resilience. nce ce.. show sh owss th that at tthis hiss is w hi orki or king ng.. “Our research shows working. eop ople le have hav ave e fo foun und d th that at “In addition, people found it reminds them to be be there ther th ere e for for others othe ot hers rs which facilitates co connection better conn nnec ecti tion on and and b ette et terr wellbeing.” ety of of support supp su ppor ortt available avai av aila labl ble e There is a variety ur ne need ed,, Ro Robi bins nson on depending on your need, Robinson said. “The good news ws is, is, we we know know eve very ryon one e ca can n do there are things everyone ellb el lbei eing ng,, ev even en to improve their w wellbeing, estt of times. es tim imes es.. during the toughest “In 2021, our research ese search ch tested tes este ted a range of daily behaviours are hav a io our urss th tthat at a re rt re rresilience silience si e and d proven to support wellbeing. ad just s one one of “People who had these behaviourss in th their heir daily lives had a 48 perr ccent higher ent hi en h gher ng stron ong chance of enjoying strong g.” mental wellbeing.” The effect wass cumulative – the mor more ore e things an individual ual a er ei did, the higher their wellbeing. nd “We recommend beginning your wellbeing journeyy by visiting All Sorts for wellbeing tips that you can do alone or with others.” These include staying connected, movement,
Honorary Associate Professor at Auckland University and author Dr Giresh Kanji. Photo/Supplied
