Dr Jo Prendergast- Psychiatrist and Author

29/08/2026

Talking to Channel 9's Today Extra about the signs that a teenager might be struggling, and what parents can do about it.

The questions I get asked most are some version of: how do I tell the difference between normal teenage behaviour and something I should worry about. It is a fair question, and the answer is usually less dramatic than parents fear.

From the Australian tour for When Life Sucks, my book for parents on supporting teenage mental health, published by HarperCollins. It is sold in Australia, New Zealand and the UK, and available as an ebook worldwide.

27/08/2026

The person who looks like they are coping best is often the one to worry about.

They never complain. They always deliver. And then they resign on a Tuesday, with no warning.

The behaviours we celebrate as resilience are quietly the behaviours driving burnout. Constant positivity. Quiet coping. Pushing through.

Beyond Heroics is my keynote on what is actually going on, and what helps. Two minutes on it here.

Enquiries: [email protected]

26/08/2026

I had just had a clear MRI when I told this one.

The catwalk I did down a hospital corridor after breast cancer surgery, the telling-off that followed, and the TikTok that went on to reach 530,000 views.

From my closing keynote at the Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law conference, December 2025.

26/08/2026

✨ Child Protection in a Changing System - Satellite Day 2026 ✨

Join us on Monday 9 November for the Child and Youth Health National Clinical Network's Child Protection Satellite Day, part of the PSNZ Annual Meeting.

A full day dedicated to the people doing some of the hardest, most important work in our health system. From navigating the challenges of child protection in 2026, to updates from Health NZ, Oranga Tamariki, and the Ministry of Health, and a panel bringing it all together.

✨ We're especially excited to welcome guest speaker Dr Jo Prendergast | psychiatrist, comedian and author, for a session that's a little different from the usual conference fare. Jo will speak candidly (and with plenty of humour) about burnout in high-pressure roles, the hidden behaviours that drive it, and what it takes to build resilience and cope with the demands of a career (and life) in the thick of it.

If you work in child health, child protection, or the wider system around tamariki and whānau, this is a day worth putting in your diary.

📅 Monday 9 November 2026
📍 Massey University, Wellington
ℹ️ Full programme: https://lnkd.in/ewbty8Zf
🎟️ Tickets: https://lnkd.in/e6A4R-t7

25/08/2026

Your most reliable team member might be your biggest burnout risk.

We notice the people who speak up and say when it is too much. The ones who are harder to spot are the quiet high performers. Calm on the surface, paddling hard underneath.

And because they never complain, they get more work, more responsibility, more pressure.

So do not wait for them to tell you they are struggling. Look at whose plate keeps filling.

Because the people who look like they are coping best are often the ones closest to not coping at all.

21/08/2026

We have all said it. "I'm fine," while clearly not being fine.

There is even a workplace version. Four coffees, no lunch, inbox on fire, but yep, fine.

Saying it does not reduce stress though. It hides it. It works like a lid on a boiling pot: the pressure does not leave, it builds, and then it boils over.

The problem is not the boiling pot. It is the lid.

So try one emotionally accurate sentence instead. "I'm feeling a bit stretched. This is a lot." Not oversharing. Just accurate.

Because "I'm fine" is not a long-term strategy.

20/07/2026

In this podcast with Dr Louise Kuegler I share many of my pearls of wisdom about burnout.

Practical pearls:
Stress spreads through teams; calm and vulnerability do too.
Leaders set the tone by modelling boundaries and emotional honesty.
Peer support turns isolation into connection and resilience.
Burnout is a system problem, not a personal failure.
Burnout affects both emotions and the nervous system; both need support.
Physical symptoms and withdrawal are early warning signs.
Small recovery moments, like the physiological sigh, quickly reset our nervous systems.

Have a listen here:
https://www.thespecialistgp.co.nz/podcasts/clinician-burnout-w-dr-jo-prendergast

This episode explores burnout in healthcare, its definitions, warning signs, systemic causes, and strategies for prevention. Dr. Louise Ku

21/06/2026

Hey Pōneke Wellington people!

I'm back performing comedy with Wellington Comedy Friday 10 July and Saturday 11 July plus MC of RAW Meat Monday on Monday 13 July

All at the wonderful The Fringe Bar

Love to see you there!

Here's the ticket link for Friday 10 July with the one of my favourite comedians Friday Laughs with Ben Hurley and Jo Prendergast

https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2026/friday-laughs-with-ben-hurley-and-jo-prendergast/wellington

08/06/2026

Keynote speaking and performing comedy on Hamilton Island at an Australian GP conference.

It’s wonderful to be able to bring a range of options to a conference!

I was able to have a range of speaking topics to fit this conference’s evolving programme - and bring both a keynote as a psychiatrist and a comedy set as a comedian for the social programme.

Wonderful conference organised by Lisa Orourke from Medical Learning Journeys for a large group of Australian GPs.

16/05/2026

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