Abstract
Significant mental health disparity exists in Aotearoa New Zealand between Māori and the non-Māori majority. Although much has been written about mental health and the cultural competence of health professionals, cultural context has not been specifically considered within the behavioral paradigm, and it was placed in the center of practice in multicultural societies by the behavioral community only recently. In this article, we discuss some of the problems encountered by Māori in the mental health system and the role of behavior analysts in addressing the divide in service provision. Dialogue with other disciplines that investigate the importance of indigenous cultural values is necessary. We conclude with some suggestions about strategies that may be implemented across services by behavior analysts in order to improve mental health outcomes for Māori.
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Notes
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a document signed between the Crown and the majority of Māori leaders in 1840. The treaty promised Māori the right to be subjects of the Queen and to have full possession of their lands while ceding governorship and the right to purchase land only to the British Crown. The document was translated from English to Māori before it was signed, and it therefore has two legally equivalent but differing versions: English and Māori. It is considered as the founding document of New Zealand.
Te Rau Hinengaro is the New Zealand Mental Health Survey (NZMHS), funded by the Ministry of Health, the Alcohol Advisory Council, and the Health Research Council of New Zealand. The survey was carried out in conjunction with the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative. Since the original study (Browne, Wells, & Scott, 2006), the Annual Data Explorer results are generated from the continuation of the New Zealand Health Survey, with comparisons to earlier surveys.
Compulsory treatment orders are a legislated part of psychiatric practice in New Zealand. A psychiatrist has the authority to enforce outpatient treatment, including pharmacotherapy, with police assistance, if required (http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2013/0088/latest/DLM4088208.html).
In New Zealand, health care is provided by DHBs, which are local bodies responsible for the funding, planning, and provision of health care in their district. They have been established by the New Zealand Public Health Disability Act 2000 (http://legislation.govt.nz).
In New Zealand, as in most countries outside the United States, you need to be registered as a psychologist to work as a behavior analyst. Thus, behavior analysts must also comply with the NZPB Code of Ethics.
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Author Note
We thank for their cultural advice with this paper Dr. Hinemoa Elder, Professor of Indigenous Health Research Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi; and Phyllis Tangitu, General Manager, Māori Health, Lakes District Health Board. We also thank Neil Martin, BCBA-D, Director of International Development of the BACB, for his helpful comments.
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Plessas, A., McCormack, J. & Kafantaris, I. The Potential Role of Applied Behavior Analysis in the Cultural Environment of Māori Mental Health. Behav Analysis Practice 12, 854–868 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-019-00359-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-019-00359-0