Te mana o te wāhine: Māori women's experiences of mental health services in New Zealand

Abstract

This research examines the lived experiences of Māori women who had engaged in recent years with mental health services in New Zealand. This research heard the stories of 12 Wāhine Māori (Māori women) using semi-structured qualitative interviews to allow participants to share their unique experiences. A thematic analysis was used to identify categories and themes that represented participants’ experiences before, during, and after using mental health services. Participants made sense of their mental health problems as a response to violence and harassment at the hands of men, difficulties with roles as wāhine (women), and struggles with their cultural identity. Participants described how they managed before engaging with mental health services by continuing in the face of adversity and relying on whānau (family) support. Participants shared their reasons for delaying contact with mental health services, including that it was hard to ask for help, they did not know or trust mental health services, and they engaged only in a crisis. They highlighted important factors in building a relationship with mental health services, including building a genuine relationship, finding understanding, being able to trust professionals to maintain confidentiality, not feeling pressured, looking for acknowledgement, and looking for familiarity. Participants also described seeking help outside of mental health services by going back to whānau support, and seeking Māori healing outside of mental health services. Finally, participants gave their own recommendations for improving mental health services, such as coming to meet people halfway, seeking more Māori professionals, healing, and worldviews, and moving toward collective support. Key findings in this research highlight the need to acknowledge mental health problems as an understandable response to difficult life experiences, the mana (strength) and tapu (sacredness) of Wāhine Māori, and the struggles Māori may face in relation to their own cultural identity. This research also highlights the value of whānau support for tāngata whaiora (service users), the importance of whakawhanaungatanga (establishing relationships) and familiarity, the importance of cultural competency in mental health services, and the general need for increasingly more Māori input, professionals, methods of healing, and worldviews offered within mental health services in New Zealand.