Belonging matters | Mental Health Awareness Week

Belonging is all about feeling connected. It is a fundamental part of our wellbeing and plays an important role in maintaining good mental health.

Research shows that a strong sense of belonging is closely linked to better mental health outcomes. Supportive relationships, connection to community, and trust in others all contribute to improved wellbeing and overall health. However, for many people, these social connections are becoming harder to maintain.

Four people sharing a joyous moment while playing mahjong in a sunlight living room.

We all deserve to feel like we belong

Globally, seven in ten people report being unwilling or hesitant to trust people with different values, perspectives, or cultural backgrounds (Edelman Trust Barometer, 2024). Here in New Zealand, the proportion of adults who report feeling lonely some or most of the time has increased by 3.3% over the past decade (Health NZ, 2025). Factors such as discrimination, financial stress, disability, language barriers, housing instability, and exclusion can make it harder for people to experience belonging and connection.

Loneliness and social isolation can only be addressed if we all play a part. Everyone deserves to feel connected and experience the positive impact that belonging can have on mental health. But when you're feeling lonely or isolated, taking the first step can be difficult. Often, the solution is created through communities, schools and workplaces that help people feel welcomed, valued, and included.

When we create opportunities for people to belong, our communities and wellbeing grow stronger.

Four people sat around a conference table with their laptops, sharing a happy moment.

Small everyday moments of connection

Research from Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom has shown that regular acts of kindness between neighbours can reduce loneliness and social isolation while strengthening community relationships. From a Te Ao Māori lens, this reflects whakawhanaungatanga, building and nurturing relationships, connection and a sense of belonging with those around us.

You may not realise that a neighbour, colleague, friend, or whānau member is feeling disconnected. Small acts of kindness, such as taking time for a kōrero, checking in, or offering to lend a hand, can make a meaningful difference. Larger acts, like volunteering or helping organise community events, can have an even greater impact on people's sense of belonging.

Acts of kindness are especially important for those who may face greater barriers to connection. Persistent loneliness is more common among people experiencing social, economic, or structural disadvantage, including disabled people, rainbow communities, sole parents, recent migrants, lower-income households, and unemployed people (Stats NZ, 2023).

Two people tend to a vege garden under a bright blue sky on a sunny day.

Wellbeing improves when we help others

The good news is that connection benefits everyone involved. When we reach out to others and become more involved in our communities, we strengthen our own sense of belonging as well. Supporting others is not only good for their wellbeing, it's good for ours too.

This Mental Health Awareness Week, we're encouraging everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand to take one small action to connect with someone else. Whether it's saying, “Ata mārie,” to someone you pass on the street, helping a neighbour with their bins, inviting a friend over for a cup of tea, or simply checking in with someone you haven't spoken to in a while, small intentional acts of connection can make a real difference.

Together, we can help create communities where everyone feels seen, valued, and like they belong.

Whakataukī

Mental Health Awareness Week and te ao Māori

Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 also shares a whakataukī that explores the Belonging Matters theme through a Te Ao Māori lens.

Ko au ko koe, ko koe ko au | I am you, and you are me.

This whakataukī reminds us that when we see one another, value one another, and care for one another, we create an environment where everyone feels they belong. It encourages us to see ourselves in each other, share, and build the connections that help people feel they belong.

Research summary

This research summary cites the sources, facts, findings and statistics that helped inform the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2026 – Belonging Matters.