Media release
For immediate release
8 February 2013

Financial stresses and family problems emerging as major factors in Rural Women NZ ‘Feeling Rotten’ survey

In the week since it was launched, there has been a big response to the Rural Women NZ ‘Feeling Rotten’ survey.

Rural Women NZ executive officer, Noeline Holt, says, “We encourage rural people to take part, to build up a clear picture of what contributes to their anxiety or depression, and what helps them overcome it. This will help us in our advocacy role, as well as providing practical support.”

The latest survey updates an earlier one Rural Women NZ conducted in 2006, and aims to show if there have been any significant changes or emerging trends.

Rural Women NZ welcomes the support of agricultural-based organisations such as Federated Farmers and Dairy Women’s Network for the Feeling Rotten Survey. The organisations will meet next week to work on collaborative action to reduce the debilitating harm anxiety and depression causes.

Early responses to the survey indicate the majority of people feel anxious due to financial stresses. This is followed by time pressures and a feeling of being overwhelmed.

When it comes to depression, family problems are showing up as a major contributing factor, with abusive situations playing a part. This is followed by post-natal depression and work stresses leading to depression.

“On a positive note, people are telling us that friends and counselling services have an important role to play in helping them through difficult times.

“This is encouraging, as Rural Women recently gave a significant sum of money to provide counselling services in rural Canterbury to those affected by the earthquakes. It indicates we are on the right track.”

Rural Women NZ would also like to hear from people who have not suffered from anxiety or depression, or who have overcome it, and ways in which they have done that.

The ‘Feeling Rotten’ survey closes on 21 February, when further results will be published.

To complete the survey go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Feeling_Rotten.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>