Hinemoa Elder

There is a famous whakataukı¯ ‘‘Ko te mauri o Nga¯ puhi he mea kua huna i te moana’’ – if you want to hide something put it right in front of your nose. How true is that – especially when I’m searching for my glasses or keys.

But it’s also been on my mind in light of the Mental Health Inquiry, and the massive missed opportunities for a much needed revolution.

The current approach is out of date. ‘‘Mental health’’ when we usually mean mental illhealth is out of step with the literature, and, let’s face it, out of sync with people’s real experience of social, cultural and emotional distress, disconnection and dis-ease.

I will never forget hearing Cambridge University child psychiatrist

Professor Ian Goodyer, who has spent his career looking at treatment of depression in teenagers, talk about reconsidering factors his research group previously thought were unimportant – or just ‘‘noise’’.

Factors such as how people are greeted at clinic – the tone and manner and cultural competency are now recognised as critical for building relationships, trust and having young people return. Our rangatahi vote with their feet. It’s hard to provide any kind of treatment when people don’t like the vibe.

I have been a rookie support person at the National Waka Ama Sprint champs at Kara¯ piro this week – a blindingly obvious, hidden-infront-of-your-face example of healthy, fun, intergenerational activity which, while not designed to be good for mental wellbeing, clearly is. And that’s one crucial point: when things are designed as ‘‘mental health interventions’’ they can be pretty off-putting.

Waka Ama involves clubs, teams, and wha¯ nau. It is about being in the elements, on the water. The crews work hard . It is not something you can do alone, it inherently promotes

Ko te mauri o Nga¯puhi he mea kua huna i te moana.

If you want to hide something put it right in front of your nose.

Child and adolescent psychiatrist Hinemoa Elder PhD is a Fellow of the Royal Australia NZ College of Psychiatrists, and Professor of Indigenous Health Research at Te Whare Wa¯ nanga o Awanuia¯ rangi, and Ma¯ ori strategic leader at Brain Research NZ.