There is a great need for research on New Zealand nurses use of CBT in any clinical area. This research
needs to occur so as to enrich the body of nursing knowledge in relation to the application of CBT within the
New Zealand context. Other potential research areas include investigation and review of the use of CBT by
Kaupapa Maori Mental Health Services and the use of CBT with individual clients in the context of a mental
health service. Given that mental health nurses largely practice within multidisciplinary teams (MDT)
research into the effective delivery of CBT by nurses and other mental health professionals within the same
team need to be explored. Do different mental health disciplines experience and deliver CBT in similar ways
or does the ‘culture’ of their discipline/professional group dictate different delivery styles? There is ample
opportunity for local nursing research to be conducted so as to enrich the body of New Zealand nursing
knowledge related to the implementation of CBT. The majority of research relating to CBT has been
conducted overseas with Caucasian populations. There are only a few studies available that relate to the
application of CBT with other ethnic groups. What is the experience of Maori mental health nurses delivery
of CBT? What is the experience of Maori and Pacific Island clients receiving CBT? What are the cultural
issues that need to be taken into account when delivering CBT to a multi-cultural population? Culturally
sensitive research needs to be conducted to assess the use of and outcome of CBT within the New Zealand
environment. As well as the cultural implications around CBT another major area requiring New Zealand
research is how, in the New Zealand mental health service, do we measure the effectiveness of CBT?
Overseas both quantitative and qualitative methodologies have been utilized – what are the implications for
the use of either of these methods in the New Zealand context?
Given that in New Zealand, 40-50% of mental health professionals trained each year in CBT are nurses
(Clinical Training Agency, 2005), there is an urgent need for New Zealand research that will provide
knowledge and understanding around how CBT training actually transfers into the New Zealand mental
health clinical setting. An appropriate place to start with this research would be: ‘Mental Health Nurses
Delivery of CBT within Community Mental Health Teams – what is the New Zealand experience?