Ara Taiohi, the peak body for youth development in Aotearoa New Zealand, welcomes the release of the Ministry of Social Development's Youth Health and Wellbeing Survey 2025, describing it as an essential resource for everyone working with and for young people.

The survey is the biggest of its kind in the country, with young people answering for themselves rather than through a caregiver or teacher. Hearing directly from rangatahi about their own lives, experiences, and wellbeing is at the heart of good youth development practice, and this survey delivers that at a national scale. Ara Taiohi was pleased to play a small role in supporting young people to participate in the survey, and we encourage everyone across the youth sector to engage with what the results are telling us.

The survey findings underline the critical role that trusted adults play in young people's lives, with more than half of respondents (55.3%) saying they would seek help from a known adult or parent when they needed support. For many rangatahi, a youth worker is that person. It is vital that youth workers are properly resourced, trained, and supported to respond effectively when young people bring their concerns and needs to them.

We are deeply concerned by one of the survey's most striking findings: that only 29% of young people identified as meeting the threshold for probable psychological distress are accessing professional help and are not getting the support they need. Ara Taiohi urges government to ensure that pathways from distress to professional support, including the guidance and pathways provided by youth workers, are clear, accessible, and adequately funded.

The Youth Health and Wellbeing Survey 2025 is a reminder of both the resilience of rangatahi and the work that remains to be done. Ara Taiohi is committed to advocating for young people and for the youth development workforce that walks alongside them. We look forward to working with government, funders, and sector partners to ensure the findings from this survey translate into meaningful action.

© Scoop Media