Indigenizing mental health services: New Zealand experience

Mental health services in New Zealand have been significantly altered by Maori cultural values. Since 1980, a monocultural approach has given way to the incorporation of Maori language, Maori health perspectives, and Maori psychological frameworks in the assessment, treatment, and care of patients. Maori provider organizations, an expanded Maori health workforce, and Maori leadership have been crucial catalysts for the transformation. The shifts have paralleled similar changes in other sectors, reflecting a broader societal movement within which indigeneity has received greater acknowledgement. The author's bicultural background, psychiatric training, and inclusion in Maori networks were important for promoting the transformation.