A qualitative study exploring the help seeking attitudes and barriers to support for Pasifika young people

This paper explores the barriers and enablers that influence Pacific Islander Pasifika young people's help seeking behaviours in South Western Sydney for substance use and mental health problems.

This study employed qualitative methods via 'Talanoa' and Photo Voice methodology.

Our study conducted 'Talanoa' sessions with 27 Pasifika young people, incorporating Pacific-Indigenous worldviews and the 'Talanoa' approach alongside an Interpretative Phenomenological Approach (IPA) and using a Photo-Voice method. Open coding methods were used to analyse the data, with multiple data sources used to enhance the validity of interpretation and subsequent coding.

We discovered that there is a growing concern around mental illness and substance use among Pasifika young people residing in parts of Greater Western Sydney. Findings illustrate how structural disadvantages operating from individual, community, and systemic levels serve as barriers to help seeking leaving Pasifika young people to deal with these wellbeing issues in isolation.

The study found that Pasifika young people often deal with mental health issues and life stress on their own due to layers of cultural stigma, and that alcohol and other drugs are sometimes used to cope with emotional stress. The study also shows that Pasifika young people are proactive in changing the rhetoric to normalise help seeking and advocating for culturally appropriate services which respect Pacific ways of 'knowing' and 'being'.