Scoping Rangatahi Primary Mental Health Issues, Care and Services – A Kaupapa Māori Approach to Identifying the Gaps and Need

What are the mental health needs for rangatahi, what services are available to them, what are the gaps in rangatahi primary mental health care, and what are the potential innovations/strategies that would fill these gaps?

The overall aim of this project has been to improve primary mental healthcare for rangatahi and to achieve this the researchers are engaging with rangatahi health and mental health consumers, key informants, stakeholders, and the wider community to gain insight into their experiences, perspectives and expert knowledge and identify the gaps, needs and solutions relating to rangatahi mental health.

Wānanga are being conducted with invited participants including Māori community leaders, Māori youth and mental health workers, educationalists, and other key informants and stakeholders. By engaging with these participants as well as rangatahi mental health consumers, their whānau and advocacy groups the project will identify key issues and priority areas for workers in relevant health, education and social services sectors. From this recommendations regarding the provision of effective and timely primary mental health models of care and pathways will be developed.