10 Wellbeing, mental health and trust Te oranga, te hauora hinengaro me te whakawhirinaki

The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the biggest upsets to the collective wellbeing of New Zealanders in generations, even though the country initially experienced relatively low infection and death rates. Evidence from national surveys and administrative data shows increased loneliness and financial pressure, and a drop in self-reported wellbeing. Patterns of delivery for mental health and addiction services shifted to accommodate public health restrictions. Levels of trust in government and public institutions were high before the pandemic but have fallen since. This chapter presents the available data.