Dr Elder is the author of Aroha:Māori wisdom for a contented life lived in harmony with our planet and in this episode of Psych Matters facilitated by Dr Andrew Amos, she discussed how spiritual stories of the Māori people can improve the health and wellbeing of psychiatrists and their patients through expanded understanding of the meaning of absolute self-determination, the rhythms of kinship and relationship, and awareness of the world around us.

Dr Hinemoa Elder is Māori, of Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kurī, Te Rarawa and Ngāpuhi descent. 

Hinemoa is a mother of two adult children. She is a Fellow of the Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and is a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist working in both District Health Boards and private practice in the fields of community and inpatient child and adolescent psychiatry, youth forensic and neuropsychiatry.  Dr Elder is an advocate for use of Te Reo Māori, the Māori language.

Hinemoa was the Māori Strategic Leader for the Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) for the Ageing Brain based at University of Auckland for the last 6 years. She continues to be involved in research regarding traumatic brain injury, stroke and dementia. She has a PhD (Massey University, 2012) and was recipient of a NZ Health Research Council Eru Pomare Post-Doctoral Fellowship from 2014-2018.

Dr Elder is a deputy psychiatrist member of the NZ Mental Health Review Tribunal and a Specialist Assessor under the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003.  Hinemoa has been a Director of Emerge Aotearoa a national NGO working to support those with mental health, addictions and with social housing since 2015. 

Hinemoa received the NZ Order of Merit for services to Māori and Psychiatry in 2019. Dr Elder was appointed to the Prime Minister’s Science Advisor’s Cannabis Panel in 2019 for the referendum in 2020. She travelled to Antarctica in late 2019 as part of Homeward Bound, a global leadership programme for women in science. 

Dr Elder is the author of numerous scientific papers and book chapters. She is a member of the World Psychiatric Association working group of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists. She is also the Chair of the IACAPAP Indigenous Working Group.  Hinemoa is also the author of ‘Aroha, Māori wisdom for a contented life lived in harmony with our planet’ (Penguin Random House 2020), which has recently been chosen for the Oprah Winfrey Book Club. The book is currently being translated into Arabic.

Topic suggestion:
If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us by email at: [email protected]

Disclaimer:
This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics. The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement. By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP’s Your Health In Mind Website.