Psychiatrists warn of looming workforce crisis as mental health services face staffing shortages

Psychiatrists warn of looming workforce crisis

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) is warning of a looming mental health staffing crisis, saying urgent investment is needed to avoid a workforce cliff. According to the college, half of the current psychiatry workforce is set to retire within a decade, and one in five positions are currently 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 also noted that psychological distress was climbing, yet there had been a dramatic drop-off in New Zealanders accessing specialist mental health and addiction services over the past five years. He emphasised that services needed to meet the specific needs of Māori and Pasifika peoples, those living with long-term health conditions or disabilities, and people known to care, protection and justice services.

"There's been enduring concerns for Māori and Pasifika in terms of their access, particularly those aged between 15-25," Lawrence said. "That cohort is relatively underserved, and there's evidence that there's significant psychological distress in that particular group and it's that particular group that often have challenges in navigating the healthcare system."

The RANZCP also called for increased inpatient beds and expanded school-based supports.

Health New Zealand responds

Health New Zealand executive national director of mental health and addiction Phil Grady acknowledged that mental health and addiction services remained under pressure and recognised the need to grow the psychiatry workforce. "We will continue to work with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists on workforce recruitment and retention initiatives," he said.

Grady noted that Health NZ had exceeded its annual workforce target for the mental health and addiction sector. He reported that the workforce grew by more than 11 percent across key professions between September 2023 and September 2025, and that Health NZ's data showed the psychiatrist vacancy rate had fallen from 20.9 percent in March 2024 to 15.6 percent in March 2026. The number of vacant psychiatrist full-time equivalent roles also decreased from 123.7 to 89.9 over the same period.

Grady also highlighted that 77.3 percent of people under 25 referred to specialist mental health and addiction services were seen within three weeks. He said Health NZ had exceeded its annual workforce target, with 514 new professionals entering training, including 74 clinical psychology interns and 48 stage one psychiatry registrars. The first cohort had commenced training for the new psychology assistant role, developed in partnership with the New Zealand Psychologists Board, with a $28.45 million investment supporting the role's implementation.

While the RANZCP's warnings point to a potential crisis, Health NZ's figures suggest some recent progress in addressing workforce shortages. The two perspectives present differing views on the urgency and trajectory of the situation, with the college focusing on future risks and the Crown entity highlighting current improvements.