Rangatahi perspectives on hauora and wellbeing: A qualitative report from Aotearoa

There is a great deal of interest, debate and concern about the wellbeing of young people in Aotearoa, and for good reason. A range of indicators suggest that rangatahi are experiencing high levels of stress and distress, while navigating increasing educational and social pressures in a context of widening inequities and climate emergency. So, what can be done to improve the lives of our rangatahi? In this report, we outline key findings from an exploratory, qualitative project designed to elicit in-depth, contextualised understandings of what shapes the wellbeing journeys of our young people, today. Our findings draw on interviews conducted in 2019 and 2020 with rangatahi aged between 16 and 20, living in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). We sought out young people with diverse experiences and identities in relation to culture, gender, sexuality, class, disability and educational stage and trajectory. Interviews were open-ended, with plenty of space for connection and exploration to ensure that the ideas, experiences and issues our analysis foregrounds aligned well with rangatahi priorities. Our analysis builds from these conversations and has also been shaped and refined through wānanga and hui processes with rangatahi during 2021.