Abstract
Rangatahi (young people) navigating first episode psychosis face challenges shaped by
the complex interplay between mental and physical health, developmental journeys,
and their surrounding environments. Addressing this requires a holistic and relational
understanding of wellbeing that is guided by lived experience. Young people with
experiences of psychosis identified the spatial environment as an important resource for
living well with psychosis. If this is to be integrated into care, we must first deepen our
understanding of what these spaces mean to rangatahi in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Hence, this research looks to identify which spaces in the Greater Wellington region are
significant to young people with experiences of psychosis and explore what makes
these places significant to their wellbeing. The study was conducted with a focus on
lived experiences, employing a participatory research design that was guided by
pragmatism and anchored in participant self-determination, enabling multiple forms of
participation. Recruitment took place through the overarching co-design project within
which this research is situated. In the first stage of data collection, ten participants
documented the places in their lives that were significant to their wellbeing, using
disposable film cameras and logbooks. Following this, six semi-structured interviews
were conducted using photo-elicitation with participant-generated images. This
multimodal dataset was analysed using a combination of codebook and reflexive
thematic analysis. The three main types of spaces identified were Urban Public Spaces,
Natural Spaces, and Personal Spaces, and four central themes captured the significance of
these spaces for rangatahi wellbeing: A Nurturing Environment, Engaging with the World,
Affirmation of Selfhood, and My Journey. The findings supported a holistic conception of
wellbeing that encompasses the spatial environment. Spaces that were significant to
rangatahi changed with time, needs, and personal preferences, illustrating the dynamic
and personal nature of spatial relationships. If space is dynamic, relational, and
developmentally responsive, then early psychosis care must move beyond viewing the
spatial environment as a passive context and instead recognise it as an active
therapeutic partner in the wellbeing of rangatahi. Furthermore, this inclusion of the
spatial environment must be informed by rangatahi experiences and preferences. The
findings of this study, therefore, support the need for the spatial environment to be
integrated into psychosis care, starting with rangatahi themselves.