Mental health crisis looming, psychiatrists warn

Psychiatrists are warning of a looming mental health staffing crisis and say urgent investment is needed to avoid a workforce cliff. <b>By Penny Smith of </b><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/health/1169162/mental-health-crisis-looming-and-urgent-investment-needed-psychiatrists-warn"><b>RNZ</b></a> The Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists told RNZ that half of the current psychiatry workforce was retiring within a decade and one in five positions were vacant. RANZCP board director Dr Mark Lawrence said urgent investment was needed to nearly double psychiatry training places. "We don't have enough senior psychiatrists to then supervise our trainees and then we are not training enough trainees as well," he said. "It's a double-edged sword – if we don't do something soon, it's going to be a challenging space for all of us." Lawrence said psychological distress was climbing, yet there had been a dramatic dropoff in New Zealanders accessing specialist mental health and addiction services over the past five years.