DHA CoP - Digital Mental Health - March 2026

The DHA Digital Mental Health Industry Group, is held every two months.

The DMHIG is representative of leading healthcare providers and digital health industry partners that provide or use software solutions related to the delivery of digital wellbeing and eMental health and addiction services.

It is co-chaired by Vanessa Ding, Innovation Lead at Wise Group, and Andrew Cameron, CCO at Whakarongorau Aotearoa.

This session, our guest speaker is Hiran Thabrew – Associate Professor at the University of Auckland, Director of Te Ara Hāro (Centre for Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health), Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at Starship Children’s Hospital, and Chair of Tū Te Akaaka Roa (the NZ National Office of RANZCP).

Hiran will lead a hosted Q&A on the implementation of eTherapeutics – covering efficacy, equity, and safety in an Aotearoa and AI context. His research includes randomised controlled trials of Whitu (a co-designed NZ app for youth wellbeing, BMJ Open 2022) and Starship Rescue (a CBT and biofeedback-based computer game for anxiety in young people with long-term physical conditions, Games for Health Journal 2026), alongside a broad range of publications on mobile and computer-based mental health interventions. https://profiles.auckland.ac.nz/h-thabrew/publications

He will share insights from both his research and clinical practice – directly relevant to everyone working to optimise how digital tools can enhance and scale outcomes for New Zealanders.

Full agenda:

1. Welcome and refresh on SIG purpose and context

2. Update on the 2025 Roadmap submission to Minister Doocey

3. Guest speaker session and hosted Q&A with Hiran Thabrew

This is a timely opportunity to reconnect with the wider group and set the tone for 2026. We hope you will join us.