Charting a future course for mental health outcome

Te Pou media release

17 November 2010

Charting a future course for mental health outcomes

Experts from New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom are gathering in Auckland to discuss initiatives to improve mental health services.

Te Pou, the New Zealand centre of mental health research, information and workforce is hosting the Australasian Mental Health Outcomes Conference, 18-19 November, at the Rendezvous Hotel Auckland.

Te Pou chief executive Robyn Shearer says the conference will focus on the collection and use of mental health outcomes information. This is an important part of ensuring that mental health services are effective and continually improving mental health services.

Associate Health Minister Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman is opening the conference. Delegates include service providers, people who use mental health services, psychologists, mental health nurses, GPs, funders and planners. Keynote speakers include health advisors to the British and Australian governments, and New Zealand health researchers.

Ms Shearer says mental health information is collected and used in individual conversations with people using mental health services, and to guide their treatment and recovery plans. The information is also used to help services and government agencies identify and respond to trends and to measure how services are performing.

“It’s all about improving mental health services and improving the journey for people using those services,” Ms Shearer says.

The theme of the conference is Mental health information: into uncharted territory. “New Zealand and Australia are world leaders in introducing outcomes measures as national programmes, but there is still more work to be done. Delegates will be mapping a future course to ensure that programmes used to collect and use mental health information are developed even further,” Ms Shearer says.

Conference topics include:
• The launch of a new Maori mental health outcomes measurement tool, known as Hua Oranga, which will be presented by a lead research team from Te Rau Matatini. Te Pou has been calling for and supporting the development and implementation of a specific Maori mental health outcomes measurement tool. For the sector and for Maori, this is a significant moment.
• New Zealand national depression initiatives such as the campaign featuring John Kirwan (www.depression.org.nz) aimed at raising public awareness about depression, and the Low Down campaign (www.thelowdown.co.nz) designed to help young Kiwis understand and deal with depression.

Te Pou’s partner in the conference is the Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network (AMHOCN), which will host the next AMHOC conference in 2012.

ENDS

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