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Suicide Prevention Strategy

New Zealand is well known for its struggles with suicide, especially amongst indigenous Māori and young people. I was privileged to be the first lived experience member on the Ministry of Health Suicide Prevention Task Force to help develop the first Suicide Prevention Strategy.   

GovernmentLived Experience Leadership

Suicide Prevention

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Time For Change

Keynote presentation at the International eMental Health Forum. 


Keynote University Lived Experience Leadership
Mental Health
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Human Rights and Mental Health

How do we ensure people know their rights and can get help making sure they are honoured? It's a challenging one for sure, but human rights are at the centre of modern society and can help address discrimination and foster social inclusion.

I led the evaluation of Korowai Whaimana (The Empowering Cloak) training - the world’s first education program on mental health and human rights by and for people with lived experience.

Evaluation Government Training
Rights NonDiscrimination Social Inclusion
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Suicide Online: Portrayal of Website-Related Suicide

Every time we hear about suicide in the TV, radio or social media it has a huge impact on us and our communities. I led academic research into this with a special focus on how the news stories are different when suicide involves online technology. 

As well as informing government guidelines on media reporting, this part was published in the peer-reviewed journal New Media and Society.

Research University Government Digital
Suicide Prevention
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DBT - Making The Difference

For me DBT (Dialectical Behavioural Therapy) takes all the best bits of the better-known CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and adds useful tools from Eastern traditions like acceptance and mindfulness. I felt privileged to be able to help the country's only residential DBT service with strategic and operational planing to improve accessibility and continue to deliver services. 

Service Provider Service Design Government
Suicide Prevention Depression Anxiety Mental Health Self Help
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Online CBT and Self Help for Depression and Anxiety

How do we help people who do not engage with mental health services because of barriers like cost, geographic distance or even shame? And what about people who want to do things themselves and choose not to engage? 

I was Principal Investigator on this research into over 600 people's experiences doing online CBT and self help and over 40 staff's perspectives on referring and delivering this service.


Research University Government Digital
Depression Anxiety Suicide Prevention Self Help
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Gareth Edwards © 2006-2019