Photo: Getty ImagesBeing young, male, Māori and living in rural Northland could be a prescription for mental illness, according to recent statistics and commentary. A spokesperson from mental health services provider Ngati Hine Trust was unavailable for comment about the rise, or about Māori mental health and youth issues. ''Rural communities are often geographically isolated which invariably means limited access to mental health resources. There was ''no quick fix'', especially with a shortage of mental health professionals across the board, he said. The New Zealand Mental Health Survey found almost 30 per cent of under-25-year-olds experienced a mental disorder in the past year.

Source: Otago Daily Times October 08, 2018 20:03 UTC