April 29, 2024
Better stories needed on mental health
A veteran Māori mental health and well-being advocate says media in Aotearoa have a long way to go in reporting about people who suffer mental distress.
Jase Te Patu, who spearheaded last year’s Mental Health Awareness Week campaign, and says media can make a major difference in reducing the discrimination that affects people with mental health issues.
He says mainstream media could take the lead from Maori media – which generally treats the issue, and sufferers, with far more sensitivity.
“The most inclusive, the most sensitive, less stigmatising, less discriminatory … because I feel we take more of a holistic world-view on well-being. We take into account the mana of the person, because behind every story is a person,” Mr Te Patu says.