Ten per cent of children between 0 and 19 are made to wait more than two months for mental health support across New Zealand. (FILE)

One in 10 young people seeking mental health help across the country will be on a waiting list for more than two months.

Ministry of Health figures from the Nationwide Service Framework showed the number of young people accessing non-urgent mental health services was steadily rising.

So too was the period of time young people had to wait to see a public mental health specialist through their district health board.

SUPPLIED Green Party health spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said supporting mental health workers was crucial in improving youth mental health outcomes. (FILE)

In 2016, 15,400 young people under 19 sought mental health help in New Zealand. Of those, 6000 were under the age of 11.

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* Mental health intervention for preschoolers could be the answer to our high suicide rates



While the majority of young people were seen within the first three weeks, some children were missing out on care.

MAARTEN HOLL/STUFF Minister of Health Jonathan Coleman said the number of trained mental health professionals is on the rise in New Zealand.

Demand on Auckland District Health Board mental health services was increasing, with the DHB seeing the highest number of clients (2051) in the country last year.



The number of under-11-year-olds accessing mental health care through the DHB had tripled in the space of two years.



With that came longer wait times — the percentage of children under 11 waiting more than eight weeks under ADHB increased 900 per cent, from 1.2 per cent in 2014 to 14 per cent in 2016.



Down country, one in three young people seeking help in the Hutt DHB area waited more than eight weeks for an appointment in 2016 (32.9 per cent).



And 26.4 per cent of under-19-year-olds were waiting just as long in the West Coast DHB area.



Green Party health spokeswoman Julie Anne Genter said understaffing and underfunding was a big part of the problem.

While there was a lack of focus on early intervention and emotional literacy, the fact that many mental health workers are not being paid adequately also creates a barrier to getting adequate resourcing, she said.

Genter said early intervention was critical for young people, particularly if we want to confront our "unacceptable" youth suicide rates. This cannot be met if there are not mental health staff available.

"It's really problematic."

As well as not meeting pressures and demand, having staff shortages can also lead to unsafe staffing and inadequate care, Genter said.

"In order to look after the mental health of our young people, we need to look after the health and resourcing of those who need to be there to help them".

Last week the Greens announced their $100 million funding boost to child and adolescent mental health, which would see free counselling offered to everyone under the age of 25.

"That immediate boost to the funding should enable better rates of pay and ensure there is enough staff, so young people don't have to wait as long," Genter said.

Minister for Health Dr Jonathan Coleman said that the number of full time psychiatrists working across DHBs had increased by 150 people over eight years.

"The psychiatry workforce has grown 27 per cent since 2008, and now stands at 572 full time equivalent psychiatrists".

The number of New Zealand medical graduates training to be psychiatrists was also increasing, he said, from 66 in 2008 to 94 in 2016.

Coleman also said the number of registered nurses working in mental health and addiction services has increased at a higher rate than any other area of nursing, from 3583 to 4206.

In the meantime, "the evidence shows we need to transform our mental health services to build resilience in children and young people," he said.

WHERE TO GET HELP

Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 24/7 for support from a trained counsellor

Lifeline (open 24/7) - 0800 543 354

Depression Helpline (open 24/7) - 0800 111 757

Healthline (open 24/7) - 0800 611 116

Samaritans (open 24/7) - 0800 726 666

Suicide Crisis Helpline (open 24/7) - 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.

Youthline (open 24/7) - 0800 376 633. You can also text 234 for free between 8am and midnight, or email talk@youthline.co.nz

0800 WHATSUP children's helpline - phone 0800 9428 787 between 1pm and 10pm on weekdays and from 3pm to 10pm on weekends. Online chat is available from 7pm to 10pm every day.

Kidsline (open 24/7) - 0800 543 754. This service is for children aged 5 to 18. Those who ring between 4pm and 9pm on weekdays will speak to a Kidsline buddy. These are specially trained teenage telephone counsellors.

Your local Rural Support Trust - 0800 787 254 (0800 RURAL HELP)

Alcohol Drug Helpline (open 24/7) - 0800 787 797. You can also text 8691 for free.