Pasifika peoples are negatively represented in a lot of statistics pertaining to mental health, what are your thoughts on this and what are some avenues going forward in addressing this?  

One of the impacts of inequality that many Pacific communities face is the negative effects it can have on our mental health. There are multiple systemic inequalities that negatively impact the mental health of our communities, and reducing inequalities will be a great benefit. Ensuring equitable income, education, employment, appropriate housing, and access to healthcare are just some of the systemic changes that can improve mental health outcomes overall. At the same time, it’s important to remember the strengths that lie within our communities which can be captured by three Rs: Relationships, Resilience, Resistance  

• Relationships are important for our mental health and psychological wellbeing, more specifically, it is the quality of these relationships that matter most. These can be relationships within our families, romantic partners, friends, work, schools, churches, communities, in digital spaces, and our environment. Understanding what positive and healthy relationships look like within each of these areas, and what we can do when these relationships are strained or damaged provide an important way of protecting and supporting our mental health.  

• Resilience refers to our ability to adapt and capacity to bounce back from any trauma or negative events we may experience. This may be losing a loved one, a relationship breakdown, financial stress, or the effects of a natural disaster. Whilst these experiences may be difficult, many of the relationships we have can help us adapt and recover from these situations. Our culture and identity can also foster resilience, particularly in the face of negative stereotypes or discrimination.   

• Resistance is something to be paired with resilience. Whilst it is important we foster resilience to withstand and adapt to adverse situations, it is equally important that we resist and push back against structural inequalities lest we encourage our peoples to become complacent within systems that need improving. Resistance in this sense can look like developing our Pacific mental health workforce, equipping our broader mental health workforce with skills and knowledge to work with Pacific communities, and supporting Pacific leadership in spaces where necessary policy and structural changes can be made.    

What are some of the highlights for you from the 2023 PMA Conference in the discussions that took place around mental health?   

The mental health panel shared some insightful and moving experiences they had whilst providing mental health services across the Pacific region, despite the limited resources and manpower they have. It was an excellent reminder of our collective responsibility we have to our communities, in addition to supporting our communities with knowledge and resources to support mental health and wellbeing. As a researcher, I appreciated the panel’s expertise on what is necessary for supporting mental health needs of our communities across the region, particularly with reference for the need of accurate data on the mental health status across our region.   

On a personal note, it was a great opportunity to share some research I have been collaborating on looking at mental health in the Cook Islands. This was the first time we had conducted a large-scale mental health survey in the Cook Islands and our preliminary findings provide important information on demographic patterns of mental health problems, and meaningful comparisons to Cook Island and Pacific populations in New Zealand.  I'm looking forward to returning to the Cook Islands for a formal presentation to our people and opportunities to talk and sense-making of the data we have collected and will provide to the Cook Islands. Dr Evangelene Daniela-Wong and the Cook Island mental health team are doing outstanding work there and we hope this data may inform the services they provide.  

What are your thoughts on the theme of this year’s NZ Mental Health Awareness Week? (5 Days, 5 Ways, 2023 theme)?  

“Five ways, Five days” is a great theme to remind us of the simple things we can do to support each other. Taking notice, Giving, Being active, Connecting, and to Keep learning are effective ways in which we can support ourselves and our loved ones. These resonate well with many Pacific values of respect, service, reciprocity, and relationships. These may be things many are doing already, so it is a great reminder to think about the purpose and meanings behind these actions and how we can use them to support others when times are tough for them.  

For more information on NZ Mental Health Awareness Week, please refer to https://mhaw.nz/