Better life outcomes
Maria English and Impact Lab seek to deliver positive, culturally appropriate and evidence-based support to ensure the best life outcomes for the most at-risk and vulnerable New Zealanders (“Smarter data”, July 3).
To understand why 15% of us use 50% of the government services, commonalities must be considered. Debate should happen about the best way to build a fence at the top of the cliff, rather than simply paying for the ambulance at the bottom.
The adult prison population encapsulates many factors that link to intergenerational dysfunction and make a child born into this morass more likely to have poor life outcomes.
Ninety-three per cent of prisoners are male and most have had the same historical experiences: exposure to physical, emotional and sexual abuse; absent fathers and young mothers; alcohol and drug abuse; welfare dependency; low academic achievement; unemployment; and mental-health issues.
Without first exploring the reasons for the erosion of the functional two-parent family and the inherent goal of become a contributing and productive member of society, we are setting children up to repeat the mistakes and lives of their damaged parents.
Ray Calver
(Auckland)
The article “Kind of blue” (July 10) identifies the trend of describing normal, negative emotions as “mental illness”. This diverts mental-health clinicians from focusing on the core disorders (in which we are trained and skilled) to sorting out social and
