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Published: 15 May, 2023

The mental health and wellbeing of rangatahi Māori and young people is one of the most important issues we can focus on today. We only need to acknowledge increasing levels of distress, and the many well-known barriers to wellbeing, to understand that much more needs to be done to support young

Published: 9 March, 2023

to today’s Te Hiringa Mahara – the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission report,  COVID-19 and safety in the home [PDF, 248 KB] . “There were increased reports of violence and more severe violence and lockdowns made it harder for people at risk to seek help,” says Te Hiringa Mahara Chief

Published: 24 November, 2022

wellbeing, 32% of 15-year-olds did not feel like they belonged in school and 17% of people reported experiencing discrimination in the last year. “The latest report from the Treasury also points out that the total growth in mental distress across all people in Aotearoa has been borne mainly by young

Published: 27 October, 2022

Te Hiringa Mahara Chief Executive Karen Orsborn has welcomed today’s release of the  second report of the Health Quality and Safety Commission (the Commission) on the impact of COVID-19 on health with its dedicated chapter on the impacts on people’s mental health and use of mental health

Published: 18 August, 2022

Transforming the mental health and addiction system must remain a priority as Aotearoa New Zealand continues to deal with the fallout from the pandemic, writes Karen Orsborn. COVID-19 is one of the most significant societal events many of us will experience in our lives. It is not over yet

Published: August 2025

We currently have two Lived Experience Advisors whose job is to support connections with tāngata whaiora and lived experience communities and provide advice on all of the work of Te Hiringa Mahara.  Saskia Ymker Saskia Ymker (she/her) is Kaitohu Mātāmua Wheako Ora | Principal Advisor Lived

Published: February 2026

Wellbeing assessment: People who interact with mental health and addiction services | June 2025 Our wellbeing assessment shows people who interact with mental health and addiction services face significantly greater barriers to wellbeing compared to those who don’t. Mental health and addiction

Published: 26 August, 2025

This crisis response literature scan reviews international and Aotearoa evidence on crisis responses for the general population, Indigenous communities, and youth. It highlights shared principles, key differences, and what is working well. The scan finds that international system-wide models show

Published: January 2026

Our leadership team provides strategic guidance for Te Hiringa Mahara -- Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission. The team includes Chief Executive, Karen Orsborn, and four directors who are responsible for our core workstreams.  Karen Orsborn, Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive Karen is the Chief

Published: January 2026

The Te Hiringa Mahara Board is chaired by Hayden Wano. The board members are Professor Sunny Collings, Dr Barbara Disley, Rae Lamb, Wayne Langford, Tuari Potiki and Josiah Tualamali'i. Appointments to the Board were announced on 18 December 2020 by the Minister of Health. The announcement was