Measuring Māori mental health wellness

Measuring Māori mental health wellness – a new tool

The launch of Hua Oranga will enable Māori mental health services to measure improvements in mental health based on a holistic Māori worldview, says Kirsty Maxwell-Crawford, Chief Executive, Te Rau Matatini.

Hua Oranga is to be launched this Thursday, at ‘The 3rd Australasian Mental Health Outcomes Conference 2010’, in Auckland and will include a full panel discussion and demonstration of the Outcomes, Recording and Analysis (ORA) Database.

Dr Te Kani Kingi and Professor Sir Mason Durie from Massey University developed Hua Oranga – Māori Mental Health Outcome Measure over a decade ago, based on Te Whare Tapa Whā. Kahu McClintock, Te Rau Matatini and Professor Graham Mellsop, Waikato Clinical School, Auckland University participated in the validation and further piloting of Hua Oranga. They were part of the team of Massey University, Te Rau Matatini and Auckland University researchers who worked closely with five Māori mental health and social service providers in the Bay of Plenty.

“It was important that the validation and testing of Hua Oranga, included working with clinicians, tangata whaiora (consumers) and their whānau (families). Being able to measure and gauge mental health outcomes using a tool designed specifically for use by Māori is a step forward. It will provide valuable information that can ensure assessments, treatment plans and service delivery meet the needs and expectations of tangata whaiora and their whānau,” says Kirsty Maxwell-Crawford.

“The success was clearly based on the fit between the Hua Oranga design and the holistic Māori worldview that include the components of whānau dimensions, spirituality, physical wellbeing as well as direct mental health. The instrument design has now also been demonstrated to have some psychometric credibility. This allows Hua Oranga to provide a unique set of information from which to develop treatment plans tailored specifically for tangata whaiora and their whānau that are affirming of their cultural identity,” says Professor Graham Mellsop of Auckland University.

“To further support Hua Oranga become a tool accessible throughout Aotearoa refinement to the collection and collation of data was needed. The new ORA Database was developed and will be available online early 2011, increasing access to collate and analyse the information gathered from mental health personnel involved in the care of tangata whaiora,” says Kahu McClintock.

“Māori mental health providers will be encouraged to access Hua Oranga and register on the ORA Database enabling them to fully utilise this valuable tool,” says Kahu McClintock.

ENDS

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