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New figures show the number of mothers receiving government-funded maternal mental healthcare is in decline, while calls to PlunketLine have tripled.  

5095 women received Perinatal and Infant Mental Health care in 2018 – but just 4757 were seen in the 12-month period to March this year.  

Meanwhile, maternal mental health-related calls to Plunketline have spiked from 334 in October to December 2019 – to 992 in the same period last year.  

National Party Mental Health spokesperson Matt Doocey said the data is hugely concerning.  

He questioned why there has been a reduction in services, despite the Government allocating $1.9 billion in Budget 2019 for mental wellbeing.  

Plunket’s Chief Executive Amanda Malu said it typically received four mental health calls a day in 2020, but that average rose to 10 last year.  

“There is no coincidence the spike in calls has coincided with the pandemic.”  

As a result, three additional nurses have been recruited for the helpline, with another four in the process of being appointed.  

Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Aotearoa General Manager Treena Cooper said the increase in anxiety around the pandemic, and restrictions in birth support is part of the reason “maternal mental health services have been overwhelmed with referrals”.  

She said PlunketLine and community perinatal groups that don’t receive government funding are picking up the slack in spaces where women are unable to be referred into national health services. 

“There are huge wait lists for maternal mental health support services, and they are only seeing the top 2% of severe cases,” Cooper said.  

Malu agreed there is a strong demand [for maternal mental health support], and “the supply has not been geared to that”.  

She said a Christchurch-based service they run that gives support to women suffering mild to moderate depression has a three-month waiting list.  

Perinatal anxiety and depression are known to be major issues in New Zealand.  

In April, a sobering report from the Helen Clark Foundation showed suicide is the leading cause of death among pregnant women and new mums.  

A Ministry of Health report released last year estimated 12–18 percent of New Zealand mothers and 10 percent of fathers will develop depression, anxiety or other mental health issues during the perinatal period.  

The figures are higher in some population groups, particularly Māori and Pacific and Asian people.  

Doocey said it’s not good enough that despite the $1.9 billion announced three years ago, there has been a decline in those receiving maternal mental health services.  

“I think we need to investigate urgently... it is vitally important mothers have access to the services they need, in a timely fashion”.  

He said it’s more than just ‘money for mental health’, and said if money was the solution to the current mental health crisis “we would be seeing more results from the $1.9 billion given [in Budget 2019].”  

Malu agreed the full effects of the Government’s mental health funds have yet to be seen.  

“We really need to see the investment turn into an increase in service availability for mums.”  

The Office for Associate Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall said “Mental health and child wellbeing are both key priorities for this Government.”  

It confirmed “Kia Manawanui: Long-term pathway to mental wellbeing, released last year, is the Government’s high-level plan for transforming New Zealand’s approach to mental wellbeing over the long-term.”  

It also said last year’s stocktake of current DHB-provided maternal mental health services supports the Maternity Action Plan 2019-2023, and said its findings will be used alongside wider work planned to strengthen services for new parents and whānau as part of the health reforms.