Australia Awards scholars and alumni from the Pacific Islands and others interested in promoting mental health in the region are invited to an online WLI Learning & Networking event on the role culture plays in shaping perceptions of, and responses to, mental health within Pacific societies.
Event Details
On 23 April 2024 from 12:00PM – 2:00PM (Australian Eastern Standard Time), a panel of experts will explore the current status of mental health in the Pacific, including promising approaches and initiatives, and factors that constraint efforts toward more widespread and culturally appropriate support for mental health.
Facilitated by Fijian mental health and wellness advocate and Women's Developmental Leadership Program alumna Ms Connie Batiwale, the expert panel includes:
- Dr Jimmy Obed, Psychiatrist and Head of Mental Health, Vila Central Hospital (Vanuatu),
- Ms Nisha Khan, Founding Member and Coordinator, Building Innate Resilience Through Hearts (BIRTH) (Fiji), and
- Ms Pele Melepia, Public Health Researcher and Advocate, Burnet Institute (Papua New Guinea).
The panel will consider:
- The status of mental health and how is it perceived by Pacific Island communities,
- How culture may represent both a barrier and safety net for positive mental health,
- Priorities and actions toaddress cultural stigma around mental health,
- Promising initiatives seeking to address mental health issues at local/national/regional levels in the Pacific, and
- How individuals, members of the medical and allied professions, Pacific policy makers and governments can better support improved mental health outcomes in the region.
By giving voice to this important issue, it is hoped that panellists and participants can help to better understand the links between culture and mental health in the Pacific and together, identify opportunities to improve mental health outcomes in the Pacific region.
Registrations are vital using the link below.