Pacific providers want youth mental health support before crisis hits

Pacific mental health advocates are calling for proactive support systems that address the unique cultural and familial needs of young people before they reach a crisis point. Dr. Penni Wolfgramm, a clinical psychologist, stressed that the well-being of Pacific youth is intrinsically linked to their family, faith, identity, and culture.

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Our Pacific young people have taught us that their wellbeing is not just about one thing. It includes family, it includes faith, identity, school, culture, and so much more.

"Our Pacific young people have taught us that their wellbeing is not just about one thing," Wolfgramm stated. "It includes family, it includes faith, identity, school, culture, and so much more." She leads Sei Lelei at Village Collective, a service offering talanoa therapy to Pacific Rainbow+ youth and their families. The service aims to create a shame-free environment for discussing mental health.

Wolfgramm explained their approach: "We invite our families into a space where we don’t shame or blame them, debate them or argue with them. We start from that place of aroha, alofa, and we ask our families to look within their faith-based traditions and ask themselves: ‘What is life-saving and life-giving, and what is life-taking and life-depleting?’"

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We invite our families into a space where we don’t shame or blame them, debate them or argue with them. We start from that place of aroha, alofa, and we ask our families to look within their faith-based traditions and ask themselves: ‘What is life-saving and life-giving, and what is life-taking and life-depleting?’

The government's 10-year Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, launched August 6, recognizes that Pacific people face significant cultural, language, and accessibility barriers. While the strategy promises specific measures to address these, Wolfgramm insists that cultural care is not an optional add-on. "When we weave cultural care into mental health delivery, we’re declaring to that young person that you have always been part of a long Pacific history," she said. This approach helps youth affirm their belonging rather than questioning it.

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When we weave cultural care into mental health delivery, we’re declaring to that young person that you have always been part of a long Pacific history. It moves our young people away from ‘do I belong to my culture?’ to a question of ‘well, I’ve always belonged, I just need to find out where’.

Meanwhile, Youthline's 24-hour helpline reports an increasing strain, with an average of four young people daily needing emergency services due to immediate risk. Jack Nielsen, Youthline's Community Engagement Lead, noted that one in ten callers is now under 12. He emphasized the need for youth to have a voice in designing services, stating, "The solutions and a lot of the answers to helping our young people are our young people themselves." This aligns with the government's strategy commitment to co-design youth mental health services.

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The solutions and a lot of the answers to helping our young people are our young people themselves.