Speech given by Sir Paul Reeves
30 Years since the Telethon of 1977
Te Papa Tongarewa
Wellington
10 October 2008
"On Monday Tapu Misa wrote in The New Zealand Herald of growing opposition to policies that benefit the poor, cynicism about welfare and support for more aggressive controls of an underclass perceived to be disorderly, drug-prone, violent, dangerous and Polynesian.
She also point out that half of those in our prisons are mentally distressed and around half have alcohol or drug addictions. To Misa this suggested that health and social support had failed rather than these people were inherently bad. I live in a part of Auckland where householders build high fences and install security gates. There seems to be a need to lock out the world and feel safe. Nobody plays on the streets now. And all this in spite of the fact that one of the principals of a Finance Company that crashed in a spectacular fashion and who is facing charges in the court, lives half a mile away. Violence takes many forms.
It's too easy and it's dangerous to categorize people either as bad or mad. The Mental Health Advocacy Coalition quoted Nathaniel Lee who said They called me mad and I called them mad and damn them they outvoted me. Some of us believe in what we call the common good. Progress comes when citizens realise that what is good for their neighbour must ultimately be good for them as well, when difference and diversity are seen not as sources of division and distrust but of strength and inspiration.
The Mental Health Foundation in the last thirty years has made us confront divisive stereotypes born out of fear and ignorance. The Foundation has tapped into the collective wisdom of the people, their enthusiasm and their awareness. The Foundation is community driven and based on the values, aspirations and experiences of New Zealanders. It has taken self determination seriously and encourages people to lead their own recoveries. And in the process the distinction between mental and physical health is not so obvious now. All dimensions of health are woven together.
I recommended that you read Mason Durie's forward to the book we are going to launch soon Change in Mind, Kia Puawai a Mua. He lists some of the changes of the past thirty years. Overly optimistic claims of the prevention of mental disorders have given away to a more realistic goals of early intervention. We understand better the influence lifestyle has on interpersonal relationships. On average children sleep half an hour less than they did 30 years ago. Television, computer games and a sense that sleep is not so necessary take their toll on mental health. The large psychiatric hospitals have gone now. At one time the response to mental distress was to lock up people permanently. It nearly happened to Janet Frame. But now we have a regime of community care and local treatment where those who have come for support are absolutely necessary to good outcomes.The influence of Maori perspectives and models of health are now significant. They offer an integrated model where mind, body, spirit and family are now part of a connected model.
Much remains to be done. I read Max Abbott, director of this Foundation from 1981 till 1991, believes there is still a massive divide between the level of care and funding for physical ailments and those for common mental conditions, including depression and anxiety. Max says there should be as many public mental health workers as there are GP's in the country. Deal effectively with mental health and there is a positive spin off for social functioning and work performance.
I well remember the Telethon of 1977. As the Bishop living in Napier I could not escape it. I know that I had to do something silly for a good cause. Still $2,005,750 on the day became a grand total of $2,012,746. The initial enthusiasm gave way to the long haul but you have made it. Congratulations on a task well done and I wish you every success for the future."
