Kaaren Mathias

Senior Lecturer Above the BarKaaren Mathias

Rehua - Room 201
Internal Phone: 91664
I work, teach and research in mental health in communities with a focus on equity, young people and social inclusion and community health systems.

Research Interests

I am a public health physician and researcher with a wide range of research interests which include participation, inclusion and mental health in communities. I used mixed methods although qualitative research is my favourite research (so complex and nuanced). I work in public health in New Zealand and India, and with the team in India. I am founder/ director Burans (www.burans.org) and we have developed interventions (Nae Disha, Nae Umeed, Swasthya Labh Saadan) that have been adopted and scaled. Until recently I was the South East Asia regional board member of Health Systems Global.

Recent Publications

  • Bailie CR., Pillai PS., Goodwin Singh A., Leishman J., Grills NJ. and Mathias K. (2023) Does the "Nae Umeed" group intervention improve mental health and social participation? A pre–post study in Uttarakhand, India. Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health 10 e47 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2023.38.
  • Bayetti C., Bakhshi P., Davar B., Khemka GC., Kothari P., Kumar M., Kwon W., Mathias K., Mills C. and Montenegro CR. (2023) Critical reflections on the concept and impact of “scaling up” in Global Mental Health. Transcultural Psychiatry 60(3): 602-609. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13634615231183928.
  • Bemme D., Roberts T., Ae-Ngibise KA., Gumbonzvanda N., Joag K., Kagee A., Machisa M., van der Westhuizen C., van Rensburg A. and Willan S. (2023) Mutuality as a method: advancing a social paradigm for global mental health through mutual learning. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00127-023-02493-1.
  • Mathias K., Jain S., Fraser R., Davis M., Kimijima-Dennemeyer R., Pillai P., Deshpande SN. and Wolters M. (2023) Improving mental ill-health with psycho-social group interventions in South Asia-A scoping review using a realist lens.. PLOS Glob Public Health 3(8): e0001736. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001736.
  • NAJM AF., NIAZI A-U-R., ALEKOZAY M., ALLAN EB. and MATHIAS K. (2023) Establishing a child and adolescent mental health center in Herat, Afghanistan: a project description. Global Health Journal http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.glohj.2023.11.002.