Poipoia te kākano kia puāwai – nurture the seed and it will bloom Whau Foundation helps to address gaps in knowledge and service delivery by funding innovative research. Our work focuses on evidence-based practices and developing effective interventions.
We’ve funded over 180 research projects across Aotearoa, driving advancements in understanding and addressing mental health challenges faced by New Zealanders.
We prioritise finding out what actually works in mental health care, ensuring that our initiatives are grounded in research and real-world outcomes.
Here you can explore research projects supported by Whau Mental Health Research Foundation across our 57 years of operating:
Featured Success Stories
The Gauging Risk and Resilience in Teenagers (GRIT) Study
Researcher(s)
Dr Samantha Lee
Child and Youth Mental Health
Fostering Flourishing Youth in Aotearoa
Researcher(s)
Dr Sarah Hetrick
Health Services and Delivery
Primary Healthcare
Text based support following a suicide attempt
Researcher(s)
Dr Lillian Ng
Tech and Digital
Suicide Prevention
Acceptability to Māori of an online platform and interactive chatbot to support mental health wellbeing
Researcher(s)
Dr Amy Hai Yan Chan
Tech and Digital
Understanding the relationship between alcohol and suicide in New Zealand
Researcher(s)
Dr Rose Crossin
Addiction
Suicide Prevention
Rainbow Experiences of Accessing Mental Health Support
Researcher(s)
Gloria Fraser
Health Services and Delivery
LGBTQ+ Mental Health
13 Reasons Why: Dangerous sensationalism or opening up the suicide conversation? Examining young people’s perspectives.
Researcher(s)
Sarah McKenzie
Suicide Prevention
Media
A prospective, observational study of the natural history of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type-1 (CRPS1)
Researcher(s)
Debbie Bean
Physical and Psychological Disorders
Help now for self-harm: development of an app for young people
Researcher(s)
Dr Sarah Hetrick & Dr Karolina Stasiak
A rapid non drug treatment for anxiety – the rapid symptom shifting therapy
Researcher(s)
Professor Bruce Arroll
Treatment Approaches
Intervention
Autism and psychiatric conditions: what’s the genetic overlap in our New Zealand Youth
Researcher(s)
Dr Jessie Jacobsen
Suicide Prevention
Neurodevelopmental/Neurodiversity
Biological
Intervention for children aged 11-13 years, designed to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and improve self-esteem and participation
Researcher(s)
Ema Tokolahi
Anxiety
Depression
Suicide Prevention
Internet-based treatment (BRAVE) for children and adolescents with anxiety following the Christchurch earthquakes
Researcher(s)
Dr Karolina Stasiak
Population Mental Health
Tech and Digital
Intervention
Effect of methamphetamine (“P”) addiction neural structure and function, and the potential methylphenidate in treatment.
Researcher(s)
Dr Bruce Russell
Treatment Approaches
Biological
Research into disparities in contact with mental health services between Māori and non-Māori.
Researcher(s)
Ms Fiona Mathieson
Primary Healthcare
Intervention
Computerised delivery of a strength-based, consumer driven cognitive behavioural intervention for the treatment of depression and anxiety in young people
Researcher(s)
Dr Karolina Stasiak
Anxiety
Child and Youth Mental Health
Tech and Digital
Studying the patterns of brain proteins in parts of the normal human brain compared with the proteins expressed in equivalent brain regions of patients with schizophrenia.
Researcher(s)
Dr Cooper, Dr Kydd and Dr Faull
Schizophrenia
Other Success Stories
Year
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Select content All 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1986
Institution
Story filter - institution
Select content All University of Auckland University of Otago Massey University University of Canterbury Auckland University of Technology Otago University at Wellington Victoria University of Wellington Auckland District Health Board CCDHB Helen Hamer & Associates Ltd Massey University Wellington North Shore Hospital RASNZ (Refugees as Survivors New Zealand Trust) Rehabilitation Service The Collaborative Trust The Mental Health Foundation (with University of Auckland) Unitec University of Waikato Wellington School of Medicine
Grant Area
Stories - Grants Area
Select content All areas Depression Child and Youth Mental Health Health Services and Delivery Treatment Approaches Addiction Forensic Psychiatry Primary Healthcare Psychotic Disorders Suicide Prevention Community Mental Health Intervention Schizophrenia COVID-19 Diagnostic Techniques Māori Mental Health Old Age Psychiatry Population Mental Health Anxiety Biological Disability History of Psychiatry Huntington's Disease Legal Physical and Psychological Disorders Student Mental Health Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Biological Psychiatry Child Youth Mental Health Diabetes Epilepsy Family Mental Health Legal, Mental Health Services and Delivery Mood Disorders Neurocognitive Disorders Neurodevelopmental Disorders Neurodevelopmental/Neurodiversity Occupational Mental Health Old Age Mental Health Old Age Psychiatry, Biological, Dementia Public Health Schizophrenia, Tech and Digital Youth Mental Health
Primary Research Area
Stories - Primary
Select content All Health Services and Delivery Suicide Prevention Treatment Approaches Biological Child and Youth Mental Health Intervention Neurocognitive Disorders Psychotic Disorders Mood Disorders Depression Family Mental Health Old Age Psychiatry Tech and Digital Anxiety Forensic Psychiatry History of Psychiatry Occupational Mental Health Primary Healthcare Schizophrenia Trauma Addiction Diagnostic Techniques Disability Health Psychology Huntington's Disease Media Neurodevelopmental/Neurodiversity Physical and Psychological Disorders Population Mental Health Prevention and Promotion Rehabilitation
Researcher
Researcher name
Select content All researchers Associate Professor Bruce Russell Dr Bruce Russell Dr F. Goodyear-Smith Dr Nicholas Hoeh Dr S. Hatcher Dr Sunny Collings Fiona Mathieson Framework Trust Ms Kate Prebble The Mental Health Foundation Alexia Mengelberg Andrew Walmsley Associate Professor Bruce Arroll Associate Professor Maria Stubbe Associate Professor Paul Jose Associate Professor Robert J. Hancox Associate Professor Sarah Hetrick and Dr Sarah Fortune Associate Professor Susan Morton Associate Professor Welma Stonehouse Associate Professor Yoram Barak Auckland Mental Health Law Association C.J. Bensemann Cathy Stinear Cathy Stinear and Dr Simon Hatcher D.R. Love & R.L.M. Faull D.R. Love and R.L.M. Faull Disability Law Dr Ailsa McGregor Dr Allen Fraser Dr Amy Bird Dr Andrea Kwakowsky Dr Anne Scott Dr Annette Mortensen Dr Anthon Rodgers Dr Cara Swit Dr Cate Curtis Dr Cooper & Dr Kydd Dr Coverdale, Dr Lees and Dr Kydd Dr David Codyre Dr Elizabeth Broadbent Dr Eva Saskia van Stockum Dr Frederick Sundram Dr G.J. Lees Dr Garth Cooper Dr Gary Cheung Dr Geoff Bridgman Dr Goodyear-Smith Dr Heinz Albrecht Dr Helen Paris Hamer Dr Hiran Thabrew Dr Ian Soosay Dr Irene Zeng Dr J. Stanton Dr J.J. Wright Dr J.J. Wright and Dr R.R. Kydd Dr J.M. Stanton Dr Jacquie Kidd Dr Janet Spittlehouse Dr Jennifer Jordan Dr Joanne Lin Dr Karen Day Dr Karolina Stasiak Dr Kate Prebble Dr Kerry Gibson Dr Kydd, Dr Liley and Dr Wright Dr Lee, Dr Coverdale and Dr Kydd Dr Louise Brough Dr M. Abas and Dr R. R. Kydd Dr M.D. Patton Dr Mairin Taylor Dr Melanie Abas Dr Merrick and Dr Aroll Dr Narun Pornpattananangkul Dr Nick Argyle Dr Oakley-Browne Dr Peter Shepherd, Mr Greg Smith and Dr Claire Chaussade Dr Rachael Pond Dr Rebecca Slykerman Dr S. Merry Dr Samantha Marsh Dr Simon Hatcher Dr Trish Van Kralingen Dr Z. Cohen Dr. Bruce Arroll Dr. Bruce Russell Emily Cooney Emma Sutich Erik Wibowo Extended Hours Team, Carrington Hospital Forensic Service Francesca Fogarty Francisco Javier Virues Ortega Frank Tracey Garth Cooper Healther McDowell Helen Warren Janett Levien Karen Faisandier Louise Keown
Barriers and drivers in screening for depression amongst midwives and the co-ordination of care with GP’s
Barriers and drivers in screening for depression amongst midwives and the co-ordination of care with GP’s
Researcher(s)
Dr Ian Soosay
Primary Healthcare
Health Services and Delivery
Young people’s talk about suicide: Identifying risk and resilience
Young people’s talk about suicide: Identifying risk and resilience
Researcher(s)
Dr Kerry Gibson
Suicide Prevention
Changing expectations: analysing the landscape of housing support in the New Zealand Mental Health Sector.
Changing expectations: analysing the landscape of housing support in the New Zealand Mental Health Sector.
Researcher(s)
Dr Jacquie Kidd
A randomized trial of varenicline for the treatment of cognitive and affective symptoms in Huntington’s Disease.
A randomized trial of varenicline for the treatment of cognitive and affective symptoms in Huntington’s Disease.
Researcher(s)
Dr Ailsa McGregor
Intervention
Neurocognitive Disorders
Huntington’s Disease
Factors implicated in young women’s self-harm: Risk and Resilience
Factors implicated in young women’s self-harm: Risk and Resilience
Researcher(s)
Dr Cate Curtis
Suicide Prevention
Investigating the effects of fish oil supplementation on cognitive performance in older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment
Investigating the effects of fish oil supplementation on cognitive performance in older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment
Researcher(s)
Alexia Mengelberg
Old Age Psychiatry
Dementia
A Psychological Intervention to Improve Outcomes in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer and their Caregivers
A Psychological Intervention to Improve Outcomes in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer and their Caregivers
Researcher(s)
Dr Elizabeth Broadbent
Health Psychology
Instigators of change: Oral histories of forensic psychiatric services in the Auckland Region
Instigators of change: Oral histories of forensic psychiatric services in the Auckland Region
Researcher(s)
Dr Kate Prebble
History of Psychiatry
Neuroplasticity as a Treatment Outcome in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Neuroplasticity as a Treatment Outcome in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Researcher(s)
Francisco Javier Virues Ortega
Suicide Prevention
Neurodevelopmental/Neurodiversity
The Role of Resilience for Young People in Coping with Everyday Events
The Role of Resilience for Young People in Coping with Everyday Events
Researcher(s)
Associate Professor Paul Jose
Suicide Prevention
