Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Schizophrenics need more help, health boards told (New Zealand) Story at Stuff - "Health boards are not doing enough to support and listen to the families of schizophrenia sufferers, an advocacy group says. A national study by the Mental Health Commission has found only half of the 21 district health boards employ family advisers, even though the Government has provided funding for the positions. Family advisers became a requirement in 1999 to advocate for the families of people with a mental illness. An estimated one in five New Zealanders suffer from a mental illness at some stage in their lives and one in 100 will develop a severe psychosis or mental illness such as schizophrenia."