Let’s talk mental health in the Pasifika Community
Disclaimer: This blog contains suicide stories. Please proceed with caution. Support resources are mentioned and included at the end of this blog.
What is mental health?
CDC (2023), describes mental health as impacting three domains of emotional, psychological, social. I will add into this spiritual. These four domains of bio-psycho-social-spiritual, assist to map out where a person is at with their cognitive development and processing. Adverse childhood experiences (ACES), trauma, genetic, environmental, substance abuse often interfere with brain development leaving individuals with ongoing complex mental health concerns including severe anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation or suicide completion.
In recent times mental health is slowly gaining momentum however the rapid increase of people experiencing this invisible illness is growing at an alarming rate. In 2022, AIHW reported 3,249 suicide deaths, of those 2, 455 were male and 794 accounted for females. Suicide is not age discriminatory and the highest rate of suicide for both males and females occurred among the ages of 85 and over. WHO (2020), mentions Samoa is ranked at 39 in the top 50 countries experiencing high rates of suicide.
My personal experience with suicide completion.
At the age of nine, I was the last person to see my maternal uncle only seconds prior to taking his own life. This particular relative from what I was told suffered with his own mental health and in the early 90’s the language for this just didn’t exist. Reflecting on it as an adult the symptoms were there; isolation, depression, withdrawn, erratic, and a deep despair that was felt when you walked into a room he occupied. As a child I wondered what was making him so sad and wished him joy.
The week leading up to the funeral, my grandmother’s weeping and wailing haunts me 31-years later, and my grandfather’s attempt to console her still resonates. He would say “Soia, Aua” which translates to “stop it or don’t” in Samoan. As brutal as these words sound, my grandfathers tone was empathic and loving they were words of comfort. I slept in the mosquito net next to theirs and it was difficult to hear and see the suffering they endured with the loss of their son. As customary to Samoa our deceased are buried in the family homes and this is what occurred with my maternal uncle.
I remember standing in the kitchen as families came to offer words of support to my grandparents. I have a vivid memory standing in the back room, as a VHS of my uncle emerged from a recent taping at our family home. We sat in silence as we caught a short glimpse of his smile. The sadness that loomed around our home and village lasted months and for my grandparents and family a lifetime.
Survivor Guilt
Although we grieved as a community, for me; I felt extremely confused. This confusion turned to anger. I felt isolated in my own thoughts, and as a nine-year-old. I was trying to make sense of what was happening around me. I was invisible to the outside world. There was no one to help me understand and I deeply wanted to know the why’s and the how’s. I took the frustrations out on myself and self-loathing was given the platform to wreak havoc throughout my essential developmental years. My adaptive coping mechanisms that helped me when I was nine became maladaptive as I became a young adolescent leading into adulthood.
The affect of this traumatic event created the narrative of, “It was my fault this happened” All the ‘what if’s and could have’ statements aligned with guilt and shame. I wished someone had told me then; what I was experiencing was part of survivor guilt along with grief and loss and this was not a linear experience, it will be complex and painful. Most importantly, “it was not my fault”. In saying this my central figures didn’t have the emotional intelligence (EI) or capacity to express this then.
I don’t share this often as I blamed myself for a long time. It took me decades before I acknowledged this had nothing to do with me and I was too young to identify what my maternal uncle was going through. Like them, I didn’t have the language to articulate what I had seen or register what had happened was due to severe mental health illness.
You are not alone, there’s help available.
I speak on this experience because sadly 31-years-later mental health in the Pasifika culture remains stigmatised. A taboo subject, a display of weakness or viewed as someone who is spiritually weak or demonically possessed. These myths are far from the truth and there are scientific empirical evidence that support the validity of mental health illness. Although my maternal uncle wasn’t able to receive the help he needed, you can.
Working with clients that present with some of the aforementioned symptoms it takes time for us to unravel the origin. Clients at times come with the notion that a quick fix is available. However my approach is transparent and it can take between 6, 10, 20+ sessions. Depending on the severity and longevity of the cause we can start with a top down or a bottom up approach using psychotherapies such as; Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), Acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), Narrative therapy (NT), along with modalities that support and enhance the theories further. This may sound daunting, I can reassure you it’s a process that brings forth healing and restoration.
A solution focussed brief therapy (SFBT) technique asks the ‘miracle questions’. “The very problem that brought you to see me today is no longer there. What would be the very first difference you would notice in your life? Additionally I would ask clients, ‘What would you be doing? Where would you be? What career role would you be in? What unhealthy habit would you be free from? Which version of yourself do you see?” (Sutton, 2021).
If these are questions you’ve been asking yourself then your self-awareness is present. There is an undiscovered part of yourself that is asking for you to pay attention. If this is something you would like help with, please reach out. Asking for help is brave and I would like to encourage you to take that first step.
If you or someone you know is in immediate need of support, please contact one of the following hotlines for immediate assistance:
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 - 24/7 Offering support for anxiety, depression, and suicide prevention.
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800 - A confidential and private counselling service specifically for children and young people aged 5 to 25.
Lifeline: 13 11 14 - 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention service.
MensLine Australia: 1300 78 99 78 - Specialised support for men with emotional health and relationship concerns.
Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 - A nationwide service providing professional 24/7 telephone and online counselling for anyone affected by suicide.
These services offer confidential support, ensuring that help is available around the clock for those in need.
