Experts working to address mental health in the Pacific (in the medical profession, research, and non-profit sectors) highlighted the importance of better knowledge-sharing between sectors and addressing culture as both an enabler and hinderance to mental wellbeing efforts in the Pacific Islands.
During a recent online WLI Learning & Networking event on ‘Culture and Mental Health in the Pacific’, Pacific Australia Awards alumni and interested colleagues joined a live panel and Q&A with Fijian mental health non-profit founder Nisha Khan, Papua New Guinean public health researcher and advocate Pele Melepia, and Vanuatu’s first ni-Vanuatu psychiatrist Dr Jimmy Obed.
About the panellists
The live panel and audience Q&A was moderated by Fijian mental health advocate and Women’s Developmental Leadership Program participant Connie Batiwale, who has almost two decades’ experience in teaching and boosting educational outcomes with wellbeing approaches.
The panel included:
- Nisha Khan, the Founding Memberand Coordinator of non-profit organisation Building Innate Resilience Through Hearts (BIRTH) Fiji, which provides counselling and social work, advocacy, and training events to promote mental and physical wellness in communities;
- Pele Melepia, a public health researcher and advocate focused on maternal, child and adolescent health (including mental health) drawing from a background in clinical nursing, educating, and conducting research reviews on child and adolescent mental health in PNG with the Burnet Institute; and
- Dr Jimmy Obed, Vanuatu’s first ni-Vanuatu psychiatrist and the Head of Mental Health at Vila Central Hospital advocating for more holistic approaches to mental health awareness and care that promote collaboration and coordination between sectors.
Event topics
The live expert panel discussion and Q&A explored:
- How mental health is perceived by Pacific Island communities,
- How culture is both a barrier and safety net for positive mental health,
- Priorities and actions to address cultural stigma around mental health,
- Promising initiatives addressing mental health issues at local, national and regional levels in the Pacific,
- How individuals, health professions, Pacific policy makers, and governments can support improved mental health outcomes in the region.
Catch up on insights
Click on the button below to download the event Summary Paper.
Listen to the event recording.
