Abstract: This thesis explores how rangatahi Māori and whānau define and experience self-injury in Aotearoa. The dominance of the current Western knowledge base that contributes to psychology in Aotearoa is questioned, specifically regarding the extent to which current knowledge adequately explains self-injury in rangatahi Māori. To do this, I use a mixed-methods approach that is informed by the principles of kaupapa Māori (G. H. Smith, 1997), Māori-centred (Cunningham, 2000) and interface research (Durie, 2005). Our current understanding of self-injury in rangatahi Māori is informed predominantly by international research and models grounded in worldviews that differ from the unique cultural context in Aotearoa. These definitions, such as that for “non-suicidal self-injury” (Zetterqvist, 2015),and models, such as the Experiential Avoidance Model (Chapman, Gratz, & Brown, 2006), are then applied to the assessment and treatment of rangatahi Māori. In this thesis I highlight why these Western definitions and models become problematic when they are incongruous with the behaviours that rangatahi Māori define as ‘self-injury’ and, as such, fail to consider the unique, complex, and diverse experiences of rangatahi Māori who self-injure.
The quantitative study involved cross-sectional survey data collected from 343 rangatahi who identified as Māori in the Youth Wellbeing Study. This survey data provided initial insight into the prevalence and correlates of self-injury in rangatahi Māori. In the second study, sequential focus groups were conducted with 25 rangatahi Māori and their whānau. The principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, 2004) informed the qualitative data analysis.
Definitions of behaviours that rangatahi Māori and whānau considered to be self-injury were broad and varied, including harm to wairua (essence, spirit) of the rangatahi and their whānau. Reasons for self-injuring included experiencing intense emotional pain, for example, that which was caused by peers. The most common functions of self-injury endorsed by rangatahi Māori were to express emotional pain, to communicate distress, to maintain a sense of control over their lives, and to manage their suicidal thoughts.

Abstract: Every day in Aotearoa (New Zealand), people of Maori ethnicity (the aboriginal peoples of Aotearoa) will experience their indigenous names being mispronounced when accessing health and social services. The New Zealand Government and the Ministries that come under including The Ministry of Health and The Ministry of Social Development continue to work towards reducing barriers for Maori who access their services. Despite this work there appears to be a gap in addressing this specific issue around pronouncing Maori peoples names correctly. This report investigates the gap identified by working with 20 Maori participants that have Maori names over a six month period in 2011.
This research report used a mixed method approach of narratives and statistics, overarched by a Kaupapa Maori methodological approach. The aim of this report is to capture the lived experience of the effect of mispronunciation of a Maori name when accessing health and social services. The desired outcome of the research is to inform medical and social service practice, by encouraging Professionals (my emphasis) to find solutions to support better outcomes for their Maori clients from their first ka nohi ki te ka nohi (face-to-face) interaction.
In this report the writer refers to the Maori as the indigenous people of New Zealand in contrast to Tauiwi (other). It is acknowledged that there is no single way of being Maori as Maori people’s values, beliefs and practices are diverse and different within whanau, iwi to iwi, hapu to hapu. However from the literature there are common threads and values that the Maori population generally engages in. This is what is drawn upon and woven from the literature and into this report while recognising the many ways that Maori people express their identity and experiences.