Addressing youth mental distress in Aotearoa New Zealand

Globally, youth mental health challenges are rising. Within Aotearoa New Zealand, our young people aged 15-24 are reporting rates of psychological distress higher than any other age group.

Read the report
Read the media release

Rates are particularly high among rangatahi Māori, rainbow young people and young people living in high deprivation areas.

To better understand why mental wellbeing is declining, earlier research undertaken by Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures explored young people’s perceptions of the factors influencing youth mental health.

This follow-up report, Addressing Youth Mental Distress in Aotearoa New Zealand is a desktop review of evidence-based approaches to improve youth mental health. It outlines six areas for action:

• Tackling sources of adversity such as poverty, discrimination, and family instability.
• Building resilience through skills that help young people manage uncertainty.
• Strengthening belonging in whānau, schools, and cultural identity.
• Improving experiences at school, where achievement pressure and negative environments weigh heavily.
• Expanding access to timely, youth-friendly and equitable mental health services.
• Better understanding the role of social media as both a risk and opportunity.

Strategic action across these six areas could see a meaningful reversal in our youth mental health statistics.

Register for the webinar ‘Understanding and addressing youth mental distress in Aotearoa New Zealand’, 12.30pm NZT, 13 November 2025.

The first report in this series is available here: Pathways to Wellbeing: A Youth-Led Exploration of Mental Health in Aotearoa New Zealand.