Power of community key for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week

There’s just under a month to go until this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW), held between 23–29 September. This year’s theme is Community is... what we create together.

There’s no denying the past few years have been challenging for Aotearoa, with extreme weather events, rising costs, and political divides affecting us all. This MHAW, we’re encouraging New Zealanders to celebrate the power of community in bringing people together, and collectively uplifting our mental health and wellbeing.

“We made the decision to focus on community this MHAW, as a result of research we carried out surveying over 1,500 people impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle and other extreme weather events across the motu,” Shaun Robinson, the Mental Health Foundation’s (MHF's) chief executive, says.

“The findings revealed that community is the key to getting through tough times.

“This MHAW, we want to encourage people to take the time to define, build and celebrate community and all that it can offer us — for the benefit of our own mental health and wellbeing, and the mental health and wellbeing of those around us”.

To help you take part in MHAW, free resource packs are now available to order. Designed to help you learn more about the importance of community, these resource packs contain posters, flyers, wallet cards, postcards and more. These resources won’t last long, so get in quick to make sure you secure a pack for your workplace, school, whānau or community group! Postal orders are open from now until Thursday, 12 September, or until stock runs out.  

As well as printed packs, the MHF has additional free resources available to download, like their  2024 MHAW Guide; their 'How to have a safe and supportive kōrero' guidelines; and digital assets including e-signatures and social media tiles to help you spread the word and encourage others to get involved in the week. There’s even a fun MHAW quiz that you can use with colleagues, friends or whānau as part of a MHAW event.

“Now more than ever, we need to come together,” Mr Robinson says.

“We know that strong connections are essential for life satisfaction and health, so this MHAW, let's nurture our relationships and support each other by celebrating the power of community in uplifting our collective wellbeing.”

Let the Mental Health Foundation and everyone in Aotearoa know about your MHAW plans, by registering your event.