Ko wai ahau? (Who am I?) How cultural identity issues are experienced by Maori psychiatrists and registrars working with children and adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
This paper aimed to investigate narratives regarding the experience of Maori cultural identity of Maori psychiatrists and registrars who have worked with tamariki (children), taiohi (adolescents) and whanau (families).


METHODS
This was a Kaupapa Maori (Maori-centred) qualitative study where a total of five Maori psychiatrists and registrars were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire informed by Tikanga Maori (Maori custom and protocol).


RESULTS
This paper presents one significant theme, that of "doing the work differently". Within this theme, the perceived 'mismatch' between psychiatric training, seeming to value opacity in clinical sessions, compared to Tikanga Maori aspects of the doctor's identity which values whakawhanaungatanga (connectivity and relationships) was consistently described.


CONCLUSIONS
This paper has implications for registrar training needs, workforce development, service development and cultural competency.
Elder
Hinemoa
H
He Kaakano Maori Clinical Team Whirinaki, Counties Manukau District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand.
D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D003469:Culture; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012933:Social Identification; D000078329:Workforce