The latest New Zealand Health Survey has found that nearly one in four young people, aged 15-24 years old, experienced high levels of psychological distress. 

To help inform the New Zealand youth mental health sector on what is needed to support rangatahi, the Youth Advisory Team at Whāraurau have been running Deep, Meaningful Conversations (DMC) to create opportunities for young people to share their perspective on health and wellbeing.

DMC is a project designed by young people, for young people. The Youth Advisory Team at Whāraurau is comprised of individuals under 25 years old who have lived experiences of accessing mental health and addiction services. The team strives to represent the voices of young people and provide insight into their needs from mental health and addiction services.

“Effective support for the wellbeing of young people in New Zealand is imperative,” says Eden Grimwood, a Youth Consumer Advisor and a member of the Youth Advisory Team at Whāraurau.

“We have learnt a lot from our own experiences,” says Eden. “I am truly dedicated to doing what I can to change things that aren't quite right and aren't working for young people.”

Deep, Meaningful Conversations (DMCs) have been running, since 2019, as a series of workshops held in schools and communities across Aotearoa New Zealand. Members from the Youth Advisory Team facilitate conversations about mental wellbeing and support with young people aged 16-25 years old by using questions and prompts as a start for discussion.

This year, the young people were asked about what wellbeing looks like to them, who they would go to for support and how they would like professional support to look like.

“We ask questions, and then from seeing or hearing the conversations in the room, we talk about the topics that come up,” says Eden. “We expand and go deeper on those talks, which then become deep, meaningful conversations, just as the name suggests.”

A safe place of understanding and connection is key to these sessions, she says. “We make sure that participants do not feel the pressure to disclose anything that they are not comfortable with.” For the DMCs conducted in schools, digital tools are used for anonymous communication to encourage students to feel like they can express their experiences without judgment from their classmates.

Whāraurau supports the wellbeing sector by communicating the insights learned through the DMCs to help the sector better support young people. This is done through comprehensive reporting as well as videos, presentations, and workforce development initiatives. Earlier this year, members of Whāraurau’s Youth Advisory Team were part of a group that shared these insights into the mental health and wellbeing of young people with ministers from the Child and Youth Wellbeing Ministerial Group at the Beehive. 

• Young people have a holistic understanding of wellbeing, emphasising hobbies, basic needs, support, relationships, and emotions.
• Friends and family are primary sources of support.
• Young people prefer support from individuals who are relatable (younger people, the same gender, or have had similar lived experiences).
• Desired attributes in support include active listening, creating a comfortable environment, validation, understanding, and trustworthiness/respecting confidentiality.
• The approach of engaging with all young people, regardless of service experience, revealed that almost all young people we come into contact with have some experience with mental health/wellbeing.

More details for this year’s DMC findings will be published next year. See the annual reports from 2022 and 2021.

The Youth Advisory Team at Whāraurau continues to advocate for the support of the mental health and wellbeing of young people.

“Essentially, we feel that young people's perspectives should inform the care that they receive. 

He aha te kai ō ngā Rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero

About Whāraurau

Whāraurau provides government funded training and support to the infant, child, adolescent and youth mental health and alcohol and other addictions sector. Our work is evidence-based, and informed by clinical, cultural and youth lived experience.

Further reading and information about the Youth Advisory Team at Whāraurau: Youth Leadership | Whāraurau