Illness perceptions provide a framework to assess patients' ideas about severe mental illness and a means by which to identify maladaptive beliefs. Interventions targeted at changing these beliefs may encourage better self-management.

Illness perceptions provide a framework to assess patients' beliefs about their mental illness. Differences between Māori and New Zealand European patients' beliefs about their mental illness may be related to traditional Māori beliefs about mental illness. Knowledge of differences in illness perceptions provides an opportunity to design effective clinical interventions for both Māori and New Zealand Europeans.