2016 New Zealand Mental Health Survey: Methodology Report

The New Zealand Mental Health Survey (NZMHS) is a nationally-representative survey of New Zealand adults aged 15 years and over, aimed at providing regular and robust quantitative data on key mental health issues in New Zealand. The NZMHS is managed by the Health Promotion Agency (HPA) and aims to assess depression rates, monitor community-based stigma towards those suffering mental distress, measure psychological distress rates, gauge social connectedness, and appraise societal knowledge of mental health illnesses. 2016 was the second year the NZMHS was in field. In 2015 the HPA sought to develop a new nationally-representative survey aimed at providing regular and robust quantitative data on key mental issues in New Zealand. The NZMHS was run for the first time in 2015 and for the second time in 2016. The survey forms part of HPA’s delivery of a research programme that among other things, provides advice and research on issues related to mental health.