The project will be led by Luke Gray who is a founder of WĀHI and a trained occupational therapist. Photo: Qiane-Matata-Sipu/ supplied
A new research project by youth charity WĀHI is heading out into rural Bay of Plenty to gather the voices of young Māori and investigate how best to support their mental health.
The three-year project, funded through a partnership with the Clare Foundation with support from Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, will involve collaboration with local schools including Whakatāne High School, Te Kura o Te Whānau-a-Apanui, and Tarawera High School, and will explore how Māori philosophies and values can be used to shape mental health promotion.
The project will be led by Luke Gray, founder of WĀHI and a trained occupational therapist, whose work in the Eastern Bay of Plenty has already reached thousands of rangatahi through the PETRA Programme, an activities-based mental health education initiative.
Gray (Ngāti Pūkeko) said it could be hard for anyone but especially rangatahi to step out and say 'I'm struggling'. He believed the best way combat this was to go out to rangatahi before they reached a crisis point, which was why WĀHI engaged with schools.
"Especially within our rural setting for whānau to travel two, three hours to come into town for a counselling session for an hour and then travel three hours home in terms of resources for whānau it's pretty inaccessible. And so that was our whakaaro behind WĀHI was about getting to people, getting to whānau rather than waiting for them to come to us."
Gray said he loved his work as an occupational therapist but he could see there were other needs within the community that weren't being met.
"There was kids who would come through that sort of triaging system and would still need some support but they wouldn't quite meet the criteria. So that was another thing that played into developing this kaupapa with WĀHI charitable trust."
The birth of the PETRA programme
Gray's drive to support rangatahi through their mental health struggles was born out of personal experience. He and his two younger sisters grew up in Australia, he moved back to Aotearoa to study when he was 18 and his whānau followed a year later.
"When they moved over my sister found it quite difficult to feel like she belonged, when she was 16, it's quite a tender age for people to be uprooted from home or everything they knew and brought over to a whole new country, a whole new community and she found it really, really difficult," he said.
She was later diagnosed with anxiety and depression and it all came to a head during an overseas holiday where Gray she hardly left her room.
Gray said he went to check up on her to see if she was okay and she reassured him that everything was all right.
After the holiday he returned to Auckland to finish his studies and his sister was supposed to start back a school in Whakatāne.
"The night before that happened I got a phone call from my mum... saying my sister had been rushed to hospital because she had attempted an overdose."
As a big brother that was gutting, he said. He saw some of the things she was going through but didn't know the questions to ask and didn't know how to approach it.
After that he had the chance to sit with his sister and listen to what was going on with her, he said.
"She told me things were just getting overwhelmed with all the school stuff, she felt like she didn't fit in or didn't belong, she didn't feel like she was good enough or she didn't want to burden people with what she was going through. So all of those types of things is what added up to her attempting that overdose."
Gray said his sister is still with them today and she still acts as a massive inspiration for her whānau.
A while after that he told her he didn't want this to happen to any other rangatahi and that he wanted them to know they were valued and they were valuable.
"And so I said to her, in honour of her bravery and her resilience that I wanted to create this kaupapa and that I wanted to name it after her, so that's where we get the Preventative Education and Training for Resilient Adolescents or the PETRA programme, my sister's name is Petra and it's dedicated to her."
Giving rangatahi the tools
Gray is hopeful the project will be able to give rangatahi the tools to recognise emotions within themselves and if it is happening to their mates as well.
Rangatahi were well aware of depression and anxiety, a big influence on that was social media, but may not know where to turn to get help, he said.
"When I start to talk about [covering mental health] I always ask 'has anybody heard of the word depression? Has anyone heard of the word anxiety?' It doesn't matter where I go whether it's out into the middle of Te Urewera, up to Huiarau, or if I go down to Te Kaha, or I'm in Whakatāne in town, it's always above 90 percent of those kids know what those two things are.
"They know what those things are and they might be experiencing them, but they don't always have access to the proper services... as a whole I think rural spaces are pretty underserviced."
A big part of why they were doing this research was to get a proper understanding about what rangatahi needed in terms of improving their wellbeing and being able to feel they could overcome those challenges, he said.
"I think this research is just an avenue for us to explore the voices of those who because of geography sometimes their voices are left out, but sometimes I think those quieter voices are the voices we need to listen to."
Gray is working alongside his wife, who is also an occupational therapist, and will be a researcher on this project.
His final message to any rangatahi struggling with their mental health is that there is always someone to talk to.
"There are supports out there for you and there are people out there who care for you and want to make sure that you're thriving."
Where to get help:
- Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason
- Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
- Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO. This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends
- Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202
- Samaritans: 0800 726 666
- Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
- What's Up: 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787. This is free counselling for 5 to 19-year-olds
- Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 or text 832. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, and English.
- Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
- Healthline: 0800 611 116
- Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
- OUTLine: 0800 688 5463
- Aoake te Rā bereaved by suicide service: or call 0800 000 053
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
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