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Government's Suicide Prevention Strategy shifts responsibility onto everyone to do better - Mike King

Mental health advocate Mike King says the Government's suicide prevention plan shifts the responsibility onto everyone to do better. 

Funding has been boosted for more than 20 neglected services, and a Suicide Prevention Office was set up on Tuesday. 

Led by a Director of Suicide Prevention, the office will work alongside a "lived experience advisory group" and a "Māori advisory group". Its plan to reduce New Zealand's suicide rates will focus on "promoting wellbeing", "responding to suicide distress and behaviour", and "supporting individuals, whānau and communities after a suicide". 

King was involved in the plan and says action isn't just for district health boards (DHBs) or the Government.

"There are community groups out there who have been working tirelessly," he told The AM Show on Wednesday. "I'm talking about people who work tirelessly, who receive no funding or acknowledgement - [they] are going to be listened to."

King, who appeared alongside Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Health Minister David Clark at Tuesday's announcement, praised the plan.

He told The AM Show there are too many people going through the DHB systems.

"What we need to do is have mental health facilities, or hubs, that take the pressure off our DHB systems, so the DHBs can do what they do best - which is crisis mental health," King said on Wednesday.

"There are too many people turning up at our emergency systems because they don't know where else to go."

Although there have been complaints about the time taken to get to this point, King said it's been the problem of a generation.

"As parents, we have to do better. We have to build our kids' self-esteem, and that doesn't mean you have to pat their heads and praise them for everything; you can disagree with a child in a validating way."

On Tuesday it was announced that King would also front a new campaign asking loved ones to share final letters left behind by those have taken their own lives.

"As of two minutes ago we have got 77 letters," he told The AM Show on Wednesday morning.

King said it was "amazing" to see such a response in just 24 hours.

Families and friends who may want to share letters or notes can visit iamhope.org.nz for more information.

Where to find help and support: 

Newshub.