24 June 2015 | 24 Pipiri 2015

You’re in for some heightened wellbeing during this year’s Mental Health Foundation Matariki celebrations, when comedian Jamaine Ross lends his support.

Laughter improves your catecholamine levels (fancy word for feel good hormones). So, where you can, incorporate some into your Matariki events and activities, 20 June to 19 July.

In case you’ve missed it in the past, Matariki is the Māori name for the star cluster known as the Pleiades. Traditionally, when the star cluster appears just before dawn in the month of June, it signals the start of the Māori New Year. Matariki is celebrated with many events and activities across Aotearoa.

Keep an eye out for Matariki celebrations in your area – local newspapers and council websites are great places to start – and get your giggle on!

Book blog

What a great little book! I picked it up because the word toolkit indicated it might be more practical than wordy, and it is.

Contributing to the book’s feel-good, uncritical style, is that author Alice Boyes tells readers first up that she suffers from anxiety herself and uses many personal examples... Read Margaret's review

Recalling positive memories reverses stress-induced depression
In a remarkable demonstration of the curative power of memory, scientists have established that artificial reactivation of memories stored during a positive experience can suppress the effects of stress-induced depression, according to Science Daily.

Strategy to improve results in social services
A new long-term strategy for social service investment will deliver better results for at-risk children, young people and adults, along with more effective use of taxpayer money, Social Development Minister Anne Tolley says.

New edition of MindMatters
MindMatters is a mental health initiative for secondary schools that aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people. MindMatters has been redeveloped and its new iteration includes a suite of new professional learning resources.

New NZ research & resources

Hīkaka te anawa: Making a difference for rangatahiSokratov, A., & O’Brien, J.M. (2014, October). Wellington: Health and Disability Commissioner and Te Rau Matatini.This report comes from the collective desire of rangatahi mental health and addiction services across New Zealand to document their common successes and challenges. It draws on the collective experiences of 21 services across New Zealand, compelling insights from the people who are working at the grass roots and making a difference for rangatahi.

Cannabis use 2012/13: New Zealand Health Survey
Ministry of Health. (2015, May 28). Wellington.
Around 8% of cannabis users report a time in the last 12 months that cannabis use had a harmful effect on their mental health. Younger cannabis users (aged 25–34 years) are most affected, with reported harm to mental health decreasing markedly by age 55+ years.

Oranga niho me ngā tangata whaiora: Oral health and Māori mental health patients
Steinman, M., et al. (2015, June). Dunedin: University of Otago.
This research explores rehabilitative dental treatment provided to a small group of Māori mental health patients within the Western Bay of Plenty and how this contributes to improved mental health functioning, oral health and quality of life. The researchers find that following oral rehabilitation, participants report an improvement in their psycho-social wellbeing, oral function, self-esteem, relationships, and dynamics within their immediate social environment.

Kia Piki te Ora Suicide Prevention Programme evaluation final report
Kahui Tautoko Consulting Limited. (2015, June). Wellington: Ministry of Health.
This evaluation report shows that generally stakeholders feel Kia Piki te Ora’s contribution to Māori suicide prevention works well when providers engage with the community. However, the widespread activities undertaken by the nine providers means that in some instances stakeholders were unclear on the core role and responsibilities of Kia Piki te Ora.

New international research & resources

Religion, spirituality, and health: A review and updateKoenig, H.G. (2015). Advances in Mind-Body Medicine, 29(3), 19-26. This article summarises research on religion, spirituality and health, including some of the latest work being done by research teams at Columbia, Harvard and Duke universities, as well as other academic medical centres.

Peer support: What is it and does it work?
(2015, May). US: National Voices.
This review finds evidence that peer support can help people feel more knowledgeable, confident and happy, and less isolated and alone. It also shows there is a limited understanding of the different forms of peer support, how best to deliver support and the forms of training and infrastructure to get the most impact from it. The study concludes that further evidence is needed to fully understand the impact it has on the health service and those with long-term health conditions.

Update on flourishing & wellbeing

Conceptualising wellbeing for young people living with mental illness
Honey, A., et al. (2015, June). International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 22(6), 278-287.
Assisting clients to achieve wellbeing, even in the presence of ongoing mental illness, should be a primary goal of mental health services. However, little is known about what wellbeing means for young people living with mental illness. The aim of this study is to explore the ways in which young Australians living with mental illness conceptualise their wellbeing.

Update on stigma & discrimination

The relationship of perceived campus culture to mental health help-seeking intentions
Chen, J.I., et al. (2015, June). Journal of Counselling Psychology, Epub ahead of print.
Despite mental health issues being widespread on college campuses, the majority of college students do not seek help. Prior research suggests several individual factors that may be related to mental health help-seeking. There has been little work considering the broader role of the college environment on person-level predictors of mental health help-seeking, specifically the relationship with perceived campus culture.

MHF Information Service

Disclaimer Information provided by the Information Service is not intended to replace qualified medical or professional advice. For diagnosis, treatment and medication, you should consult a health practitioner. We do not assume responsibility for any errors or omissions in published sources, and cannot guarantee the accuracy of these sources. Not all practices/treatments described in the literature will be available in New Zealand.