Maternal Mental Health
There is an urgent and growing need to better recognise, understand, and respond to the mental health needs of mothers and those on the path to parenthood.
Whau Mental Health Research Foundation is seeking support to help change that. Together, we can strengthen the evidence base for maternal mental health, deepen understanding, and support better outcomes for mothers, babies, and whānau.
Whau Mental Health Research Foundation
The Whau Mental Health Research Foundation exists to help find the answers New Zealand desperately needs.
Mental health challenges are rising across Aotearoa, but many of the most important questions remain underfunded and unanswered.
With the support of generous donors and partners, we have already helped empower nearly 200 research projects – supporting discoveries that are improving mental health care, policy, and outcomes nationwide.
But there is still more to uncover.
Your support helps researchers ask bold questions, test new ideas, and ensure promising ideas are implemented – turning evidence into real change for individuals, whānau, and communities across Aotearoa.
From Research to Impact
PTSD treatment typically takes twenty sessions. Written Exposure Therapy takes five, with equal outcomes and far fewer dropouts. Funded by the Whau Mental Health Research Foundation, Professor Bruce Arroll trialled it at The Calder Clinic to improve care in Aotearoa.
read the case studyWhy Support Whau Mental Health Research Foundation?
Nearly half of all New Zealanders will experience mental distress or illness during their lifetime. Behind every statistic are individuals, families, and communities searching for answers.
Supporting the Whau Mental Health Research Foundation means investing in the research that can improve prevention, treatment, and recovery for generations to come. Every gift – large or small – helps turn urgent questions into discoveries that can change
lives.
Donate today and help create lasting change.
We’ve empowered almost 200 research projects addressing a wide range of mental health issues, paving the way for better treatments and outcomes.
How to Give
Your generosity helps turn research ideas into discoveries that can improve lives.
Whether you make a one-off gift, become a monthly supporter, or choose to leave a
legacy, every contribution helps advance
mental health research in Aotearoa.
Together, we can help ensure the answers people need are found sooner.
Apply for Research Support
Whau Mental Health Research Foundation is here to support pioneering projects that make a difference. Apply to join our mission of advancing mental health care in Aotearoa.
ApplyResearch Success Stories
Research supported by the Whau Mental Health Research Foundation is helping uncover new ways to understand, prevent, and treat mental health challenges.
By supporting innovative projects and emerging researchers, we help close critical knowledge gaps and identify approaches that can improve mental health care across Aotearoa.
Explore some of the projects that are already making a difference:
News
Stay connected with the latest news from Whau Mental Health Research Foundation. Here, you’ll find updates on research, upcoming events, and inspiring stories of progress in mental health care across Aotearoa. Explore how, together, we’re making a real difference.
Research Implementation
In the Media
Announcing our 2025/2026 Whau Fellows and Research Projects
Donate Now
The call for impactful mental health research is louder than ever.
Every donation, no matter how big or small, will help to improve mental health in Aotearoa.
Donate today to make a difference.
Donate Now