Damian Scarf

Our group memberships form the basis of our social identities and act as a source of wellbeing. Group membership is therefore a frontline defence to combat the growing global prevalence of loneliness. However, the efficacy of a group depends on whether it is beneficial to health and subjectively meaningful to its members. Tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) may provide a medium to form meaningful groups that positively influence wellbeing to otherwise hard‐to‐reach or marginalised communities. In this vein, we recruited 305 participants from the online Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) community to investigate the impact of D&D groups on participants' social networks and wellbeing. D&D groups were rated as highly positive, supportive, and socially compatible, with significant associations with wellbeing and self‐esteem. As the first TTRPG study applying a social identity lens, our findings speak to TTRPG groups as a source of social connection associated with a broad range of psychological benefits.

Mental illness stigma continues to be a significant issue globally; however, less is known about this stigma within the context of Aotearoa New Zealand. The current study aimed to analyse the relationship between ethnicity and stigmatising attitudes towards those with mental illness in Aotearoa New Zealand. Utilising data from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (NZAVS), we used linear mixed‐effects models to assess the relationships between a stigmatising attitude (i.e., ratings of warmth towards those with mental illness) and ethnicity, controlling for a range of demographic factors. We found that this stigmatising attitude towards those with mental illness was higher among Asian and European participants but lower among Māori and Pacific participants. Overall, these findings offer support to notions that non‐Western ethnicity is associated with less stigmatising attitudes and not ubiquitously associated with greater stigma. These results offer nuance to our understanding of stigma towards people with mental illness in Aotearoa New Zealand, specifically informing ethnic and cultural considerations in the development of interventions to reduce this stigma. Given the multifaceted nature of stigma and our research being limited to one aspect of stigma, future research investigating other operationalisations of stigma are essential to substantiate our findings.

Background: Despite the high prevalence of mental disorders and suicidal thoughts and behaviours in university students, relatively few students receive mental health treatment. We aimed to first, document inequities in treatment access to understand systemic barriers and second, describe self-reported barriers to formal help-seeking and treatment access. Methods: As part of the World Mental Health International College Surveys (WMH-ICS) initiative, 3,702 first year students completed online self-report surveys (mean response rate: 24.6%). The survey assessed: presence of common DSM-5 mental disorders, suicidal thoughts and behaviours; whether respondents had received treatment for their distress in the past 12 months; and perceived barriers to accessing treatment. Weighted prevalence estimates were calculated and data were analysed using multivariable statistical methods. Results: Among students who met DSM-5 criteria for a mental disorder, only 30.9% had received treatment. Among all students, those who were older, transgender, or worked part-time were more likely to have received treatment. Asian students were less likely to receive treatment than their European peers and men were less likely than woman. When considering self-reported barriers to seeking help, older students were more likely to report all barrier types and males were more likely to endorse a desire to talk to friends/family, handle the problem alone, or report uncertainty of treatment effectiveness. Conclusion: There is a large unmet treatment need for psychological distress among university students in Aotearoa New Zealand. Student support services need to consider targeted initiatives that challenge the perceived barriers to help-seeking and address inequities in treatment delivery.

By Nuzha Saleem, Niusha Aryan & 2 more. Describes Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of interviews with eight female youth from refugee backgrounds, identifying the distinct roles of different kinds of social relationships involved in successful resettlement.

The monocultural nature of clinical psychology training in Aotearoa is untenable under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which requires preparing students to work effectively with Māori. This study extends this premise, amplifying the voices of ten Pacific clinical psychology students who shared their challenges navigating training programmes in Aotearoa universities. Using the Fijian qualitative method Veivosaki-yaga, students unpacked their challenges training within a monocultural academic environment that marginalises Pacific perspectives. Findings reveal that Pacific students’ experiences were characterised by constant dissonance between Western epistemological dominance and Pacific worldviews, values and identities. The cost of fitting into these spaces was for students to silence and compartmentalise their identities, carry the burden of cultural labour, and to perform culture when convenient to the institution. These insights highlight the urgent need for transformative changes to prioritise equity and create a truly inclusive, supportive environment for all students.

Despite consistent critiques of the psychology discipline for over 40 years there has been insufficient inclusion of Māori worldviews in tertiary learning environments, and we still do not have a comprehensive curriculum that can prepare psychology graduates to work with Māori. Out of 141 courses offered in 2022 that we assessed, only two (1.4%) were specifically Māori-focused. An additional 26 (18.4%) included some degree of Māori-focused content. The number of specifically Māori-focused courses have dropped by half when compared to a similar study conducted in 2003, and remained the same as 2015. Our findings raise critical questions about the existence of genuine institutional and professional commitment to embed Te Tiriti o Waitangi and address Eurocentric curricula in psychology.

The monocultural foundation of psychology is interwoven with the colonial history of Aotearoa New Zealand. Not all of the mahi of decolonising psychology is the responsibility of Māori. In Aotearoa, there is currently less literature around the development of racial justice allyship and how Pākehā (as the dominant majority) can work towards honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This paper draws on interviews with three Pākehā allies who have taken actions towards greater inclusion of Māori and raising awareness of systemic injustices and racial disparities. The objective of this paper is to document the understandings shared by these ‘reluctant allies’, focusing on the challenges, possibilities, and suggestions for a more culturally relevant psychological education and practice for Aotearoa New Zealand.

Despite global calls to enhance culturally safe care for Indigenous and minoritised groups, little attention has been given to exploring students’ experiences in psychology training programmes to meet these needs. A series of chi-square tests was performed to examine group differences for participants in the Kia Whakapapa Pounaumu survey (n = 107) in their consideration of ending their training and their decision to seek professional help. Over half (55%) of students reported having considered ending their psychology training. Our findings show that students who have experienced or witnessed forms of injustice such as institutional racism, microaggressions, and bullying, encounter additional barriers in completing their training. If psychology bodies wish to redress the harm caused to Indigenous and minoritised groups in the discipline of psychology, they must ensure the training programmes themselves do not perpetuate harm.