Wellington, Sep 28 (IANS): The New Zealand government has started to support the mental health of business owners as they battle challenging economic conditions.

A memorandum of understanding has been entered between the government and the Auckland Business Chamber to ensure that mental health and well-being resources are freely available for business owners, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Business owners up and down the country are doing it particularly tough right now as they battle challenging economic conditions," Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly said on Friday.

The resources include an online platform designed to support business owners with their mental health, approved professionals who can provide counselling and therapy, as well as services like nutritional advice, leadership training, business mentorship and guidance on digital literacy.

"In the past year alone, the resources were used more than 750,000 times," Bayly said.