1 in 5 people will experience mental illness this year. Do you want to promote and protect mental health in New Zealand? We know how. Get in touch with our experts for commentary and interviews. Email: [email protected]
New Year, new you? Statistically speaking, probably not
January 1st, 2026
New Year’s resolutions: many of us set them, and most of us fail – so why even bother? Two in five Kiwis will wake up on January 1 with a resolution in place, some might even zip straight to the gym, or go for a run. But just one in six will stick to them…
Does NZ need a social media ban?
December 6th, 2025
Generations before have been relatively unaware to just how seriously harmful it can be – figuring if they just keep open communication with their kids then they should be fine. But younger millennial and gen Z parents seem to be recognising the dangers.
Why do the “good old days” feel so good?
December 6th, 2025
Some of this is due to what psychologists’ call “the reminiscence bump”. It refers to our teenage and early adult years of life when we tend to have stronger memories about our lives and major events in life.
Can someone’s phone activity predict their moods?
November 22nd, 2025
Firstly – rest assured this isn’t some new and frightening emergence of big-brother watching your keystrokes! New methods are emerging which look at how someone’s pattern of typing on a smartphone keyboard might predict early onset of depression.
Can you picture this? You may have Aphantasia
November 8th, 2025
Most of the time for most of us, if asked to remember something or “picture” something in our minds, we create a mental image of the thing or person. For example, if asked to remember what you had for breakfast this morning, many of us will mentally see the Weetbix and toast – not always in perfect detail, but there will be a picture of the thing. But for a small number of people, this is just a theoretical idea, as they have aphantasia.
Bothered and burnt out: Why the New Zealand workforce needs a break
October 24th, 2025
Burnout is increasingly becoming the norm, with a multitude of factors pushing New Zealanders across the country to breaking point. But one expert says the tide is changing with a new generation entering the workforce.
Business Matters: When do you have to contribute to leaving presents in the office?
October 19th, 2025
When you take the growing number of organisations facing restructures, then add the cost-of-living to the mix, it’s really easy to feel a sense of dread when faced with an email alert announcing yet another virtual hat is being passed around the office.
Top tips to ‘top up’ your mental health
October 11th, 2025
How many Kiwi adults do you think will experience a major mental health problem in their lifetime? According to the Ministry of Health, it’s 47% of us. But data from the Dunedin Longitudinal Study suggests this figure might be closer to 80%.
“I’ll give them a pass mark”: Govt makes progress on mental health targets
October 1st, 2025
The Government’s revealed progress is being made towards their mental health and addiction targets. The latest data shows 80.3% of New Zealanders are accessing specialist mental health and addiction support within three weeks. Clinical Psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland told Mike Hosking the access to specialist services was a positive surprise, as it’s not necessarily what he’d heard.
How to avoid feeling shaken up by an office shake-up
September 28th, 2025
When workplaces announce they’re going to restructure their workforce it can throw you and your colleagues for a loop – but often the help you seek can be close to hand.
Making the consequences fit the crime: Should we swap to creative punishments?
September 27th, 2025
Dr Dougal Sutherland discusses creative punishments – a form of punishment in which the consequences fit the crime.
‘It’s ruining my life’: How meme culture is desensitising Gen Z to global tragedies
September 25th, 2025
Clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland says that reaction is baked into the design of social media platforms. “That’s how it’s designed to function,” he said. “It just doesn’t cross people’s thresholds about the seriousness of it.”
Business matters: How to mix night owls with morning folk
September 21st, 2025
OPINION: My brain works best in the morning. I learned this through years of struggling to tackle urgent deadlines through late-night hours. I’d stumble into bed, dejected, and set the alarm for sometime before the sun and most of the outside world wakes up. That’s when I breeze through whatever task had me near tears hours earlier.
Dougal Sutherland: Don’t offer advice on school subject choices
September 20th, 2025
It’s that time of the year when many high school kids are having to make choices when it comes to subject options, perhaps some of which will determine what choices they have in future careers. So how can parents support their children through the choice process?
Are you doing the right type of exercise for your personality type?
September 13th, 2025
Ever wondered why you can’t stick to an exercise routine or why you hate the gym when everyone else seems to love it? You could be doing the wrong type of exercise for your personality type.
Are pets as good for our wellbeing as we like to think?
August 30th, 2025
There’s a common belief that having a pet is good for one’s wellbeing. You often hear stories about how looking into a dog’s eyes gives you an emotional boost or that using real and fake animals in rest homes boosts residents’ moods, but it turns out it’s not a guaranteed path to better mental health – reality is more nuanced.
One in three 18-34-year old New Zealanders using AI for life advice: Study
August 21st, 2025
A study has found one in three 18-34-year-olds in New Zealand are turning to AI instead of a professional therapist for life and relationship advice. Clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland spoke to Corin Dann.
The long-term effects of everyday stressors
August 16th, 2025
Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to discuss the long-term impact of everyday stressors and what can be done to mitigate potential harm.
Dougal Sutherland: You should tell off other people’s kids
August 9th, 2025
Umbrella’s Principal Psychologist, Dr Dougal Sutherland joins Tim Beveridge to discuss whether it’s ever okay to discipline a child that isn’t yours.
Dougal Sutherland: Blue Zones and the principles of living longer – Saturday Morning with Jack Tame
August 2nd, 2025
Blue Zones are geographical locations where people live longer than average and are an area of interest for many. Some such zones are in Sardinia, others in Okinawa in Japan, Nicoya in Costa Rica, and Ikaria in Greece – all of which have a significant number of people living into their 90s or hundreds.
New international study says four-day work week makes healthier, happier, more productive workers
July 22nd, 2025
Umbrella Wellbeing principal psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland, who was not involved in the research, said the study had set a new standard in terms of its scope.
Study reveals positive impacts of four-day work week
July 22nd, 2025
A new study has revealed a four-day work week can improve employee wellbeing, confidence and job satisfaction. Umbrella Wellbeing Principal Psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland spoke to Corin Dann.
Four-day work week reduces burnout and improves job satisfaction – study
July 22nd, 2025
Dr Dougal Sutherland, principal psychologist at Umbrella Wellbeing, told Morning Report, many studies in this area had shown productivity remained.
Dougal Sutherland: Prosopagnosia or face-blindness – Saturday Morning with Jack Tame
July 19th, 2025
While we all have difficulty remembering and placing faces sometimes, some people are unable to do it altogether. Prosopagnosia, otherwise known as face-blindness, is a psychological condition that renders people unable to recognise faces – sometimes including their own. Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to delve into this rare condition.
Dougal Sutherland: A ‘no-blame’ policy is the key to online safety
July 19th, 2025
Kids these days are far more tech savvy than previous generations, but does that really help them stay safer online? Tim Beveridge is joined by Principal Psychologist at Umbrella Wellbeing, Dougal Sutherland, for Parent Squad.
Dougal Sutherland: The psychological benefits of spending time outdoors
July 5th, 2025
During the cold and wet winter months, people often spend a lot less time in the great outdoors. This can be a bit of a problem, as recent research reveals that spending time outside can have quite a few psychological benefits. Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to delve into the findings.
Dougal Sutherland: The impact of screen time on children
June 21st, 2025
Are kids spending too much time looking at screens? Dougal Sutherland is dipping into the debate over kids’ use of social media and online spaces, and the impact it has on them.
“Make some accommodations”: Supporting menopausal women in the workplace
June 7th, 2025
At some point in their life, most women will experience menopause. It generally impacts women between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age New Zealand women will begin to experience menopause being 52. Significant symptoms are experienced by approximately 70% of those experiencing menopause – common ones including anxiety, low mood/depression, hot flushes, brain fog, nausea, and fatigue. Dr Dougal Sutherland joined Jack Tame to discuss menopause, why awareness should be raised around it, and how to support someone dealing with it in the workplace.
Dougal Sutherland: We can’t stop our children doing stupid things
June 7th, 2025
What was the dumbest thing you ever did in your youth that you thought, you know what, I should have listened to my mum, or my dad and I wouldn’t have got myself in so much trouble. But I didn’t, and I went ahead and did it anyway, and luckily, I’m still around to tell the tale. Lead Clinical Psychologist, Dougal Sutherland talks to Tim Beveridge about “how do you compete with the influence of your children’s peers?” rather than trying to stop them doing stupid things.
Workplace bullying: How can we bring the numbers down?
May 24th, 2025
Last Friday (May 16) was Pink Shirt Day in New Zealand which, as we know, is to promote anti-bullying – serving as a reminder that bullying can happen anywhere. Some people think it only happens in the playground at school but reports show it also occurs in workplaces, with a Massey Uni study in 2023 reported 1 in 4 people experienced bullying at least monthly in the workplace.
Dougal Sutherland: What are children being exposed to online?
May 10th, 2025
The internet is filled with a wide array of things – more than any one person could experience in their entire life. However, as the internet has developed, spaces dedicated to children have been eroded – gone are the days of Club Penguin and flash games, replaced with adult and advertiser friendly spaces. What this has resulted in is the exposure of generations of children and young …
‘I got sent something of people shooting themselves’ – research shows young people can’t avoid harmful content online
May 6th, 2025
A new report from New Zealand’s Classification Office has revealed how young people are being exposed to harmful content online and what it is doing to their mental health.
Dougal Sutherland: The benefits of doing one thing at a time
April 26th, 2025
Some would argue our world has got too busy, too frantic, that we never get a chance to switch off. An estimate from a few years ago believes we have as much as 34GB of information coming into us every day. Some of this business is likely due to never being able to switch off from incoming info, as well as a loss of “stopping cues” around us, e.g. ads on linear tv, intermissions at movies.
Rest and recharging: Making the most of your break
April 12th, 2025
School holidays and Easter are both just around the corner, so how do you make the most of your break? Taking a holiday boosts wellbeing, but the longevity of the benefits depends on several factors: time away, actives, and mental detachment from work. Dr Dougal Sutherland breaks down the data, offering advice to ensure that the benefits of your break stick around as long as possible.
On the Up: How can we find the positives in an increasingly negative world?
April 7th, 2025
The world can feel like a dark and gloomy place at times, particularly at the moment. With wars, economic uncertainty and certain politicians always generating headlines, it’s hard to avoid feeling down. But in amongst all this doom and gloom, there are plenty of stories worth celebrating in New Zealand. We get advice from psychologist Dougal Sutherland on how to reset our minds and focus on the positive news out there.
Dougal Sutherland: Presenteeism, losing work for mental and physical health
March 29th, 2025
Most people know about the impact mental and physical health can have on absenteeism (i.e., being off work due to ill-health) and the associated effect this has on productivity.
People are less familiar with presenteeism – that’s where you go to work with mental or physical health problems and don’t function to the full extent of your ability.
Research sheds light on the cost of working while unwell
March 27th, 2025
Kiwis working while physically and mentally unwell is costing businesses $46 billion per year, according to new research. The research, undertaken by Umbrella Wellbeing, showed nine out of 10 people reported going to work while sick at some point in the last month, impacting productivity.
The dangers of ‘presenteeism’: New research reveals economic costs of unwell workers pushing through ailments
March 26th, 2025
New research reveals New Zealand businesses are losing billions of dollars a year as a result of unwell workers pushing through instead of taking time out to recover. In a new report by Umbrella Wellbeing, ‘presenteeism’ – when employees turn up to work while physically or mentally unwell – has been found to erode productivity and result in costly mistakes from staff.
Dougal Sutherland: The importance of having ‘me-time’ as a parent
March 15th, 2025
Having children is a rewarding experience for many, but it also takes a lot of time and energy. It can be very time consuming, and often leaves parents feeling exhausted, with little time for themselves. And what little time they do get, some parents may feel they’re being selfish. New research shows that mothers who took time out from work and childcare to do things that were fun and pleasurable felt higher levels of vitality – feeling more alert and energised. Dougal Sutherland has a few takeaways from this study.
Seven Sharp – Discover the Truth Behind ‘Miserable Man Syndrome’
March 3rd, 2025
Clinical Psychologist Dougal Sutherland talks to Seven Sharp about the challenges that modern men face and discusses the concept of Miserable Man Syndrome.
What does it mean to be a man today? How do men navigate personal and professional pressures while grappling with feelings of isolation and unhappiness? This interview sheds light on these questions and opens up the conversation about mental health, vulnerability, and the path to healing.
Dougal Sutherland: Why we need to stop trying to be happy
March 1st, 2025
A recent research article titled “happiness depletes me,” found that trying to be happy (which is defined as striving to experience as much positive emotion as possible and avoid negative emotions) leads to decreased feelings of happiness, and increased levels of loneliness and low energy.
NZ has long suffered from low productivity. A simple fix is keeping workers happy
February 20th, 2025
The low-productivity bogeyman has long haunted New Zealand, with people working longer hours for lower output than other comparable countries. The country is now one of the least productive in the OECD.
Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast
February 15th, 2025
On the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame Full Show Podcast for Saturday 15 February 2025, certified Kiwi icon and international supermodel Rachel Hunter joins Jack to catch up about her time back in New Zealand, and the importance of her spiritual side.
And Dougal Sutherland considers the best ways to handle life’s big changes.
Dougal Sutherland’s tips on navigating major life changes
February 15th, 2025
I’ve been thinking recently about major life changes that families go through and how these can be at the same time very challenging, yet also an opportunity for amazing growth for individuals and for families.
This was sparked by three things…
John Cowan: Parents are passing their anxieties on to their kids
February 1st, 2025
Prince William himself recently admitted that when asked what they had learnt at school that day, his children respond with “nothing”.
But how much of the anxiety around change is really coming from the child, and how much is being projected onto the child by their parents?
Cutting mental health support could be costing your business
February 1st, 2025
2024 was a hard year for many. If you didn’t lose your job, you might have spent a lot of time worrying about losing your job or ending up in the unenviable position of trying to do more with less! It’s not surprising that there are high rates of anxiety, stress, and burnout in the workforce.
Dougal Sutherland: The need for mental health support in the workplace, the financial cost of cutting it
January 31st, 2025
2024 was a hard year for many. If you didn’t lose your job, you might have spent a lot of time worrying about losing your job or ending up in the unenviable position of trying to do more with less! It’s not surprising that there are high rates of anxiety, stress, and burnout in the workforce.
Dougal Sutherland: Starting 2025 with some oomph
January 18th, 2025
2024 was a bit of a rough year, with job losses, hard economic times, and low business confidence. The new year offers a chance to reset.
Dr Dougal Sutherland offers his top tips for starting 2025 off with some oomph.
Dougal Sutherland: How to feel positive about work – even in times of insecure employment
January 16th, 2025
You know you should feel grateful for your job, so why are this year’s back-to-work blues worse than usual? And how do you get amped about your job in a climate of uncertainty?
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