Evaluating Te Reo Tuakiri : acceptance and commitment therapy in a schools-based resilience programme in Aotearoa : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract

The mental health of Aotearoa’s (New Zealand) rangatahi (young people) has received considerable attention in recent years due to increasing rates of psychological distress and suicidality. Evidence shows these difficulties are greater for Māori and Pacific rangatahi and those living in low socioeconomic areas. The New Zealand government’s 2018 inquiry into mental health recommended implementing early intervention programmes in schools to help rangatahi learn about mental health and develop skills to build their resilience. One such intervention is Te Reo Tuakiri, a new resilience programme offered to rangatahi in secondary schools across Aotearoa. Run by the bi-lingual social impact organisation M3, the content of Te Reo Tuakiri is informed by Te Ao Māori (Māori worldview) models of wellbeing and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). The programme utilises a tuakana-teina (relationship between an older person and a younger person) approach, whereby the rangatahi learn resilience skills and pūrākau (Māori legends) which they then go on to teach to tamariki (children) at a nearby kindergarten.

This thesis evaluated the Te Reo Tuakiri programme’s inaugural offerings in two secondary schools in Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland). The aims of this evaluation were to investigate the effect the Te Reo Tuakiri programme was having on participant resilience and psychological flexibility and to investigate participants’ experiences, understandings, and practices of ACT processes as taught in the programme, alongside their cultural applicability. To achieve these aims this research took a mixed-methods approach to evaluation and involved the quantitative analysis of measures of resilience and psychological flexibility at three time points, alongside thematic analysis of focus groups with students and facilitators following completion of the programmes.

The main findings of this study showed improvement in participants resilience from pre- to post-programme with a medium effect size. However, the participants did not see a significant difference in their psychological flexibility across the programme (pre to post), though there was a medium effect size from pre- to mid-programme. Further, no significant correlation was found between measures of resilience and psychological flexibility at any of the three time points. The qualitative portion of this study helped to provide some context to these findings. The themes generated highlighted instances where students provided evidence of several ACT-congruent perspectives that were beneficial in helping rangatahi better manage their private experiences and act on these newly developed skills. However, there were also instances where students expressed ACT-incongruent perspectives. The qualitative analysis also provided support for the programmes cultural applicability and demonstrated the successful adaptation of ACT processes for a Māori cultural context.

Taken together, these findings demonstrate support for the Te Reo Tuakiri programme as an effective resilience intervention and adds to a small pool of research indicating ACT may be an appropriate intervention for addressing the mental health needs of rangatahi in Aotearoa. Limitations of the present study as well as recommendations for Te Reo Tuakiri and areas of future research are also presented.