Lay summary
Trust in institutions can be fragile, more so for some groups than others. The Covid experience demonstrated the importance of trust in public health, but also the fragility of trust, in anti-mandate protests. It is crucial to gain better understandings of how trust is sustained and lost, especially for health. This grant will undertake a literature review and media scoping to map representations of trust and distrust in healthcare, health institutions, and health systems, and identify potential groups and communities that can be case studies to provide insights into trust dynamics in these areas. We will explore both Māori and non-Māori understandings of trust, and how these might differ. A funding application, developed in association with our expert advisory group for this project, will seek support for further research with these groups and communities. Findings will inform health delivery ranging from ‘health in all policy' approaches to interpersonal health communication.