Lay summary
I am a young Ngāti Whakaue researcher working within my own rohe, commited to advancing Māori mental health and wellbeing. My career goal is to contribute to iwi-led, culturally grounded research while also practising as a Clinical Psychologist in the Rotorua Hospital Mental health inpatient unit. This project will investigate what appropriate local consultation practices should look like when the research addresses highly sensitive health issues, such as suicide.
Using a Kaupapa Māori research design, I will conduct semi-structured qualitative interviews with members of Ngāti Whakaue, gathering inight from kaumātua, to pakeke, to rangatahi. The research will identify key practices and principles for effective, culturally-safe consultation when engaging in sensitive health research. Themes developed from these interviews will provide the foundation for culturally-informed hapū-led recommendations about consulting with Māori communities, strengthening ethical research practices with them.