The number of suspected suicides among Asians in New Zealand has doubled, and the government is not taking The mental health problems of Asians seriously?

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According to Chinese RNZ, the government has been urged to give higher priority to the mental health of Asians in New Zealand, and the number of suspected suicides of Asians has more than doubled in recent years.

The Asian Family Services (AFS) says the demand for mental health support has been growing since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but those with cultural knowledge to help have not received enough resources.

The National Party has called on the government to develop a national human resources strategy specifically for Asian-American mental health, though it insists it has made efforts to improve services.

Historically, New Zealand's Asian population has the lowest suicide rate of any race.

But data on the Ministry of Health's website shows that the number of confirmed Asian suicides increased from 20 to 34 between 2014 and 2018. In 2020, 55 people of Asian descent were suspected of committing suicide.

The suspected suicide rate among New Zealand's wider population also rose from 4 per 100,000 to 6.5.

Kelly Feng, AFS's national director, was not surprised by the rise in suicide rates.

"We've seen a lot of people struggling, especially some people who have lost loved ones and are so sad that they can't get back to their country. During this long lockdown, people face these mental health challenges.

"Our young people are struggling too." She said.

But the stigma of mental health in Asian cultures makes people reluctant to seek professional help.

"Many immigrants don't have much of a concept of social services and counselling before they come."

Nationally, however, the number of young Asian-Americans hosted by infant and adolescent mental health services has increased by 19 percent.

By 2030, this number is expected to grow by 26 percent, the fastest growth of any race.

Director Feng said studies have shown that most people will turn to family or religion for help, but more and more people are now turning to GPs for help, who will refer them to AFS.

AFS offers support in 10 languages including Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai Chinese, Japanese, Hindi and English.

Director Feng said the same language and cultural background can open people's hearts, including those of second-generation immigrants.

But she said that although the service received some funding from the government in 2020, it was not enough and they needed more resources.

Proposal of the National Party

National Party mental health spokesman Matt Doocey said the government should develop a national human resources strategy.

"We need to increase Asian-Americans' access to mental health services.

"Without a specific mental health HR strategy, we can't improve service levels."

Only about 10 percent of people receiving the combined primary mental health and addiction treatment services are Asian, but they make up a higher percentage of the total population, he said.

The government's response

In response to written questions from Congress, Health Secretary Andrew Little said that while there is currently no specific HUMAN resources strategy for Asian-American mental health issues, the government recognizes that a diverse, skilled workforce is critical to supporting mental health services.

He said the government would support the plan through a 2019 budget allocation.

But, Doocey said, the administration is not taking Asian-American mental health issues as seriously as it should.

"People will see that other groups in New Zealand have specific strategies for mental health services, and they will ask, why don't we in the Asian community have such a strategy?"

Little said the government remains committed to addressing the unique mental health and well-being issues of Asian communities and needs to take proactive steps to provide targeted support to groups with specific cultures and needs.

"Since the launch of the Suicide Prevention Strategy in September 2019, the government has made progress in carrying out suicide prevention efforts. This includes allocating $40 million over four years to help establish the Office of Suicide Prevention (SPO).

"The SPO also works with asian communities to continue to improve and facilitate culturally appropriate support for Asian americans. It is working to better understand treatment barriers such as stigma, communication and awareness issues. ”

He noted that the district health councils also have a responsibility to provide special grant services to immigrant and Asian populations.

He said the government has added 600 full-time equivalent positions in the field of mental health in the past two years.

"The next grant is underway, which includes strengthening cultural training for mental health and addiction treatment workers serving Asian and refugee communities." (Original title: The number of suspected suicides among Asians has doubled, and the government has not taken the mental health problems of Asians seriously? ）