Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua rangatahi's mental health awareness video goes viral

Stephanie Arthur-Worsop
By Stephanie Arthur-Worsop
News Director, Rotorua Daily Post·Rotorua Daily Post·
11 Oct, 2017 03:27 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Te Rina West was one of the Rotorua rangatahi involved in the project.

Te Rina West was one of the Rotorua rangatahi involved in the project.

"It's time to talk."

That is the message 10 Rotorua rangatahi (young people) are preaching in a mental health awareness video that has gone viral.

The video has garnered hundreds of comments and more than 2000 shares since it was posted on social media on Monday, coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Week.

The youth, all in their first year out of high school, sent videos of themselves explaining that in order to improve New Zealand's suicide and mental health record, the issue needs to be talked about openly.

Alongside Rotorua youth, Maori social media stars including That Cuzzy Terewai, Jah Cuzzy and Tuturu Maori, also took part in the project.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Today marks the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Week 2017 in Aotearoa, where we have some of the worst mental health statistics worldwide. When doing this video I never realised how big the issue was and that in a way every single person in this country is dealing with the issues of mental health. Because in this little close knit country everyone either knows someone, is related to someone, has lost someone or is that person dealing with mental health issues. I made this video to spark conversation in a country that needs to know that "it's time to talk". Thank you to everyone who made this video happen, especially Finn Carroll for his incredible editing! ❤️

Posted by Te Mahara Swanson Hall on Monday, 9 October 2017

The driver behind the idea, Rotorua's Te Mahara Swanson Hall, said mental health and suicide was an issue important to all those who took part in the video.

"It was something I wanted to do last year but we were all in Year 13 and ran out of time. Two weeks ago we decided to do it and started working on what we wanted our key message to be.

"We are all in different cities now for uni and stuff so I sent the script out and got everyone to record their video which was then edited together.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I was stoked with how well it turned out and it's kind of gone off online which is really cool. We just wanted to get our message out there and really push people to understand it's okay to talk if you're struggling and New Zealand will listen."

She said the feedback the group had received since the video was posted had been incredible.

"There's been a lot of positive comments and people willing to start a conversation which is the effect we were aiming for.

"I think our video has spoken to people because we're not just officials promising to make it better. We are young people who have come face to face with mental health issues and losing people to suicide, and want to help out others.

"Who better to combat the issue of youth suicide than the youth facing it?"

Rotorua youth involved:
Awatea Leach
Wiremu Williams
Kuratea Broughton
Bailey Morrison
Jordyn Tereu
Sherrick Martin
Te Kaiamo Okeroa Rogers
Tiana Low
Te Rina West
Kiriwaitingi Rei

Social media stars involved:
Raniera Rewiri
Te Haunui Tuna
Te Wai Coulston
That Cuzzy Terewai
Jah Cuzzy
Tuturu Maori
Josie & T

WHERE TO GET HELP:

If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call police immediately on 111.

Or if you need to talk to someone else:

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

LIFELINE: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)
SUICIDE CRISIS HELPLINE: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633
KIDSLINE: 0800 543 754 (available 24/7)
WHATSUP: 0800 942 8787 (1pm-11pm)
DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757 (available 24/7)
SAMARITANS: 0800 726 666
OUTLINE: 0800 688 5463 (confidential service for the LGBTQI+ community, their friends and families)
RURAL SUPPORT TRUST: 0800 787 254

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

'It's on in the Tron': Robertson looking forward to final test

Rotorua Daily Post

'It is unacceptable': Decorated NZ soldier lies in unmarked grave

Rotorua Daily Post

No ‘alarm bells’ about Malachi before his death, daycare says


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

'It's on in the Tron': Robertson looking forward to final test
Rotorua Daily Post

'It's on in the Tron': Robertson looking forward to final test

'It’s rugby country ... you walk down the street, everyone’s so passionate.'

17 Jul 05:00 AM
'It is unacceptable': Decorated NZ soldier lies in unmarked grave
Rotorua Daily Post

'It is unacceptable': Decorated NZ soldier lies in unmarked grave

17 Jul 03:00 AM
No ‘alarm bells’ about Malachi before his death, daycare says
Rotorua Daily Post

No ‘alarm bells’ about Malachi before his death, daycare says

17 Jul 02:32 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP