Media Release: Today Loneliness NZ provided its submission to the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction. On May 8, a statement from Loneliness NZ was read to the Inquiry Panel at the ‘Meet the Panel’ session at Auckland City Hospital, at which time the Panel encouraged Loneliness NZ to let them know what we would do different – that is provide a solution rather than only state a problem. We have done just that in our Government Inquiry submission: “Strategies for early intervention and prevention of mental illness in New Zealand.” In the submission we:
- provide evidence showing the relationship between loneliness and mental health and addiction;
- explain how social change is contributing to the rapid rise of loneliness in New Zealand society;
- recommend a change in the New Zealand mental health paradigm, so that it is extended to include focusing on loneliness as an early intervention before mental illness and promote social wellbeing as a prevention of mental illness;
- explain how Loneliness NZ will focus on those feeling lonely as an early intervention before mental illness; and
- explain how Loneliness NZ will focus on promoting social wellbeing as a prevention of mental illness.
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Feature photo: Loneliness NZ