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Objectives: A resurgence of research investigating the administration of psychedelic compounds alongside psychotherapy suggests that this treatment is a promising intervention for anxiety, depression, and existential distress in people with cancer. However, psychedelic treatment that induces a mind-altering experience potentially poses barriers to vulnerable cancer patients, and health-care practitioners may have concerns about referring their patients to trials investigating this approach. The aim of the current study was to investigate the perceptions of cancer health-care practitioners based in New Zealand and the USA related to psychedelic-assisted therapy., Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional survey of cancer health-care practitioners in New Zealand and the USA via convenience sampling to identify their perceptions about the concept of conducting psychedelic-assisted therapy with cancer patients., Results: Participants perceived that (1) psychedelic-assisted therapy has the potential to provide benefit for cancer patients, (2) research in this area across a variety of domains is important, (3) work should consider spiritual and indigenous perspectives of health, and (4) there was willingness to refer patients to trials in this area, especially patients with advanced disease who were no longer going through curative treatment. Participants in the USA had greater awareness of psychedelics than the New Zealand sample; however, New Zealand participants more strongly believed that spiritual/indigenous factors should be considered in psychedelic-assisted therapy., Significance of Results: Cancer health-care practitioners in our sample considered research investigating the potential for psychedelic-assisted therapies to be important and may be more open to studies that start in palliative and end-of-life contexts.

Aim: To synthesise the literature describing experiences of chronic pain and pain management for Māori, and to understand how this experience could inform service delivery and clinical practice., Method: We systematically searched for qualitative research on Māori chronic pain experiences (Scopus, Medline, APA PsycINFO, NZ Research, Research Square). Data extracted were coded and synthesised using thematic analysis., Results: Seven studies were included. Three themes encapsulated the data: 1) a multidimensional view of pain and pain management: Māori expressed a holistic and integrated understanding of the multiple factors that influence pain and its management, 2) a responsibility: respectful tikanga-informed care: the experiences of Māori participants with healthcare highlight a need for antiracist approaches, and a clinical responsibility to practice manaakitanga and tikanga, and 3) tino rangatiratanga: a desire for knowledge, choice and autonomy in pain management: Māori valued the empowering nature of knowledge about pain, and information and support to make decisions about treatment, including considerations regarding Western and traditional Māori medicine., Conclusion: Health services need to understand and respect the multidimensional aspects of pain, minimise racism and discrimination, use whakawhanaungatanga, manaakitanga, and tikanga-informed practices, and provide appropriate information to support tino rangatiratanga for pain management., Competing Interests: All authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© PMA.)

Aims: This study investigated differences in illness perceptions and self-care behaviours between Māori and New Zealand (NZ) Europeans with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and how these perceptions were related to clinical outcomes., Methods: Participants were 85 Māori and 85 NZ European adults, recruited from outpatient clinics, who completed a cross-sectional questionnaire on illness perceptions and self-care behaviours. Clinical data, including HbA1c, retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy, were collected from medical records., Results: Compared to NZ Europeans, Māori had higher HbA1c, lower adherence to medication and a healthy diet, and were more likely to smoke. Māori reported greater perceived consequences of diabetes on their lives, and more severe symptoms than NZ Europeans did. Māori were more likely to attribute T2DM to food and drink, whereas NZ Europeans were more likely to attribute T2DM to weight. Perceiving that treatment could help control diabetes was associated with lower HbA1c and higher medication adherence in Māori and NZ Europeans independently., Conclusions: Māori experienced and perceived worse T2DM outcomes than NZ Europeans did. Research is needed to develop and test clinical interventions to address these inequities and improve outcomes, possibly by asking patients about their perceptions, providing tailored and culturally appropriate education, and discussing patients' concerns., Competing Interests: Nil., (© PMA.)

Objective: Māori (the Indigenous people of New Zealand) are disproportionately affected by mental illness and experience significantly poorer mental health compared to New Zealand Europeans. It is important to understand cultural differences in patients' ideas about mental illness in treatment settings. The aim of the present study was to investigate differences in illness perceptions between Māori and New Zealand Europeans diagnosed with schizophrenia., Method: A total of 111 users of mental health services (68 Māori, 43 New Zealand European) in the greater Auckland and Northland areas who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder were interviewed using the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire and the Drug Attitude Inventory. District Health Board staff completed the Global Assessment of Functioning for each patient., Results: Māori with schizophrenia believed that their illness would continue significantly less time than New Zealand European patients did. Chance or spiritual factors were listed as causes of mental illness by only five Māori patients and no New Zealand European patients. Other illness perceptions, as well as attitudes towards medication, were comparable between groups. Across groups, the top perceived causes were drugs/alcohol, family relationships/abuse, and biological causes., Conclusion: Illness perceptions provide a framework to assess patients' beliefs about their mental illness. Differences between Māori and New Zealand European patients' beliefs about their mental illness may be related to traditional Māori beliefs about mental illness. Knowledge of differences in illness perceptions provides an opportunity to design effective clinical interventions for both Māori and New Zealand Europeans.