Topping Up Together for Mental Health Awareness Week
Caroline Flora, Chief Censor on Oct. 7, 2025
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week – and the theme is “topping up together.”
Here at Te Mana Whakaatu – The Classification Office, we take that idea seriously. We know that looking after each other’s wellbeing makes a big difference, especially when our work involves engaging with some challenging content.
Every day, I think about the health and wellbeing of our staff who deal with some of the darkest and most distressing stuff imaginable. We’ve built wellbeing considerations into everything we do, from recruitment of new team members to the way our office is designed and the safety protocols we have in place for examining content.
We “top up” together in lots of ways – whether it’s taking part in a lunchtime quiz as a team, adding a few pieces to the communal jigsaw puzzle, or making the most of services offered by Umbrella Wellbeing who provide us with confidential counselling, mental health resources, and tailored support. It’s all about staying connected, taking breaks, and supporting each other.
Our work also helps you top up together. On our Find a Rating page, you’ll find content breakdowns for films and series that highlight the strongest moments so your next whānau watch can be as stress-free as possible. We’ve got information on films and show from G through to R18, helping you find something that suits everyone. For more guidance on entertainment content, our Through the Ages blogs provide tips on what’s suitable for different ages.
We do the same for games, too. In our gaming blogs, we unpack everything you might want to know before you or someone in your whānau hits play. From GTA to Fortnite, and even platforms like Twitch and Roblox, our goal is to help you make informed choices about what’s on screen.
And if you’re looking for more tools to build media literacy or have safer online experiences, we’ve got plenty of resources – from Algorithms 101 to guides on Conversation Starters About Harmful Content Online, to Children and Chatbots: Your Questions Answered.
When creating these resources we draw on insights from our Youth Advisory Panel. Our panel members share their perspectives on a range of topics each month. Last month, we talked about the portrayal of mental health and illness on social media, in films and in series, and the impact it can have on young people. The session highlighted the need for ongoing resources, media literacy, and critical thinking to help young people and parents navigate online content, with a key focus on the reliability of mental health portrayals. A couple of our panel members will also be contributing blogs for Mental Health Awareness Week – so keep an eye out.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, take a moment to top up – whether that’s with your team, your whānau, or just a good film.
Check out our resources and those on the Mental Health Awareness site, and let’s keep topping up together.
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