Image: RNZ
Warning: This story discusses suicide
An Auckland mother struggling to get help for her daughter is not surprised another teenager took her own life after waiting too long for mental health support.
The mother – who RNZ has agreed to call Emily to protect her daughter’s identity – has spent the past eight years dealing with the public mental health system for her daughter, now 13.
It was suspected that Emily’s daughter had ADHD, so she was first referred to the Auckland Carey Center for Adolescent Mental Health as a five-year-old.
“They told me I needed to go on a parenting course, which I found strange because it wasn’t my first child, but I did it,” Emily said.
“The next visit was when my daughter was nine and her mental health deteriorated – she was depressed, self-harming, using it again to go to school, behaving aggressively and sleeping badly.”
Emily said she called the police on her child eight times out of fear for her own safety and frequent hospital stays.
“I asked the center to see him and help me. I ended up trying a private psychiatrist because I thought it would be a shorter wait, but it was too expensive and the wait times were longer. No.”
The work center started Emily’s daughter on medication, telling her she would “grow out of it”.
“There was one night when she tried to end her life and I ran after her and called the center and asked them to help us”.
Emily said her daughter was eventually diagnosed with severe ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).
“It’s been a painful eight years for our family – I’ve been pushed back over and over again and it’s been a full-time job trying to get help.
“At one point I thought of sending him to live with my sister in England so that he could have access to psychiatric services there”.
Service ‘woefully inadequate’ – coroner
Emily is not the only one concerned about waiting times and care in youth mental health services in New Zealand.
In 2020, a 14-year-old girl who was awaiting an assessment at a job center took her own life the day before she was due to be seen.
Coroner Alison Mills said the girl had been on a six-month waiting list for help in the months leading up to her death.
She decided it was “unacceptable” for a young man with suicidal thoughts and past attempts to wait so long for help.
The teenager was first referred to the center in 2018 and again in March 2020, for four “psychological sessions” that she said “were not helpful”.
She was referred again two months before her death, and was on a waiting list for assessment, treatment and urgent risk review.
Unfortunately she died before an emergency assessment could be carried out.
Coroner Mills said the services provided by the work center were “woefully inadequate” and recommended the center ensure it is fully staffed and has senior clinicians, with a waiting list and current practice audits. Ensure that there is compliance.
Mills said the findings were made available to Te Watu Ora and the Department of Mental Health and Addictions to “draw attention to the dire consequences of understaffing”.
‘No wonder’
When Emily was told about the teenager’s 2020 death she said it was sad, but she wasn’t surprised that a child died waiting for help.
“It’s so hard to get help and it really affects the whole family,” Emily said.
“I’m a mother and my daughter has other siblings who have been affected by all of this. I spent a year and a half ago in hospice care because I was so nervous about it all.”
One message Emily wanted to get across was that while dealing with mental health issues in your children can be “difficult and isolating,” there are hundreds of parents who are experiencing the same thing.
“You are not alone even though it can feel like you are the only person in the world going through this”.
High demand for service
ADHD New Zealand spokesperson Darren Bell said he had heard from many families that their children had to be in crisis before being seen.
“It’s hard to get an appointment and people have to wait a long time. This means many parents go private and the waiting time is now as long as the public waiting list.”
Bell said the issue had been going on since the late 90s, but has come to the fore since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This is a systemic issue – we need more staff to reduce the pressure on the mental health sector”.
Clinical psychologist Dr Martins Becker agreed that there is high demand in a sector that does not have enough clinicians.
“There are a lot of dedicated people working in mental health, but we don’t have the resources and the gaps are significant.
“Staff shortages are a major contributor and it means we can’t keep up with community demand”.
While the system faced serious challenges, Baker emphasized that this should not prevent people from reaching out for help when they need it.
“Finding help can be a challenge, but it’s still best to go to your GP and advocate for yourself. The sooner we recognize these things, the better the outcome.”
Te Whatu Ora answers
Te Watu Ora Hospital and Specialist Services director Dr Mike Shepherd said waiting times could be long due to a range of issues, including demand for services and staff shortages.
“When someone is referred to a specialist service their needs are triaged, with people with the greatest need being prioritized and seen urgently if needed.
“In a non-urgent setting, there are sometimes delays in accessing specialist treatment. However, we would like to emphasize that when a young person who needs intensive care for mental health issues is referred to a specialist service, they are always Priority is given and viewed urgently”.
Shepherd said there is currently a 10 percent vacancy rate at the job center.
If an urgent or acute referral is made, Shepherd said the youth will be seen within a week, depending on their need, while non-urgent referrals are seen within three weeks for an initial evaluation. .
Other treatments had an average wait time of 3.5 months, but many young people don’t need it and can be treated by other providers, Shepherd said.
Since the coroner’s report on the 14-year-old girl’s death, Shepherd said the amount of time it takes to see a child or youth for an initial assessment has “reduced significantly” as well as for ongoing treatment.
He said, since January 2023, there have been six complaints about Curry Center.
Where to get help:
Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 anytime to talk to a trained counselor for any reason.
Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or who are worried about family or friends.
Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) or text 4202
Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)
Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 or email [email protected]
What it is: Free consultation for 5-19 year olds, online chat 11am-10.30pm 7 days/week or freephone 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 11am-11pm Asian Family Services: 0800 862 39am 3422 Text Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Languages ​​spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and English.
Village Support Helpline: 0800 787 254
Health line: 0800 611 116
Rainbow Young: (09) 376 4155
Hotline: 0800 688 5463 (6pm to 9pm)
If this is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is in danger, call 111.
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