A snapshot of ambulance callouts uncovers mental health pressure points
A snapshot of ambulance callouts uncovers mental health pressure points
27 February 2026
A study in today's Medical Journal of 27-thousand callouts, reveals a high volume in more deprived areas.
It finds Maori and Pacific people are disproportionately impacted by gaps in care - with multiple repeat callouts.
Author and AUT Para-medicine Lecturer Gabrielle Harding says this is the first study of mental health callouts looking at the ambulance service.
She says the high number of callouts in deprived areas, indicates a need to look at determinants of mental distress.
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