Mai mana: Exploring Pacific peoples' experiences of resilience in Aotearoa

Using a multimethod approach, this study sought to identify the contribution of different facets of resilience to Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand's mental health and well-being and to explore the construct of resilience in the light of COVID-19 lockdowns.

Study 1 (N = 88) included a Pacific community sample (67% female, 33% male; M = 39 years, range = 19-80 years). Participants completed a survey measuring personal, spiritual, family and community resilience, well-being, Pacific identity, and mental distress. Study 2 comprised a focus group of one male and three female Pacific university students and used photovoice and talanoa methods. Study 3 comprised two community focus groups of four Pacific men and three Pacific women and was conducted via Zoom using talanoa methods.

In Study 1 greater well-being was associated with greater family resilience, whereas higher access to spiritual support and engagement were associated with lower mental distress. Eight themes were identified across Studies 2 and 3: resilience as overcoming adversity, nature as resilience, resilience as both personal and collective attributes, strength through adversity, vulnerability and coping, gratitude, responsibility that promotes individual resilience, and spirituality.

Taken together, our study demonstrated that Pacific peoples living in Aotearoa exhibit a range of personal, spiritual, and collective attributes that support their resilience, and we discuss the implications of these findings for our theories of resilience, especially for Indigenous groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).