Researchers at the University of Auckland have taken an innovative new approach to bolster the health and wellbeing of rangatahi by incorporating Mātauranga Māori into their mental health app.
‘Kia Haumanu’ was launched during Matariki within the Headstrong app, which aims to help young people “enhance their mental wellbeing by using proven strategies to manage stress, resolve conflict and deal with negative thoughts.”
“Rangatahi sometimes find it hard to ask for mental health support. A trusted digital tool can be an easy place to start,” Dr Tania Cargo (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Manu) says.
The Kia Haumanu course is designed to explore pūrākau (traditional stories), waiata (songs), haka, and whakataukī (proverbs) from seven different rohe.
The goal is to help young people reconnect with their Māoritanga by integrating Mātauranga Māori, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and Positive Psychology strategies to provide comprehensive support.
The Headstrong app itself was launched in 2022 by the Department of Psychological Medicine alongside a team of experts in digital innovation.
The app draws insights from Māori, Pacific, and Western perspectives on science, with Te Whare Tapa Whā (the four cornerstones of Māori health - physical, spiritual, whānau, and mental health) serving as the core holistic wellbeing model.”
One of the distinctive features of the Headstrong app is its bilingual capability, enabling interactions in both te reo Māori and te reo Pākehā, complemented by a virtual kaiāwhina or chatbot guide.
“The new Kia Haumanu course was a collaborative effort, designed by and with rangatahi Māori and supported by our Headstrong team,” Dr Cargo says.
“The rangatahi we worked with told us what was important to them. They wanted someone they could confide in without the fear of social consequences in their life; someone who understood their culture and the stresses of being a teenager; and someone they could relate to.”
The app uses the chatbot to simulate simple conversations, allowing rangatahi to interact with the virtual kaiāwhina as if they were communicating with a real person.
Through Kia Haumanu, young people can learn culturally validating techniques to revitalize and rebalance their hauora, Dr Cargo says.
“We use te reo Māori, pūrākau, motivational whakataukī (proverbs), waiata, and haka (audio tracks), infographics, mini-games, and mauri tau (mindfulness) exercises to make the content more relatable for rangatahi,” Dr Cargo explains.
Dr. Karolina Stasiak, co-leader of the project, expressed excitement about harnessing Aotearoa’s digital innovation to support rangatahi, adding she was keen to see how the project could evolve further.
“We welcome postgraduate students who might be interested in contributing to our kauapapa through research and other involvement too.” Stasiak said.
The Headstrong app can be downloaded here.
