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Samoan families experience with mental health services

Year:
2021
Duration:
24 months
Approved budget:
$172,500.00
Researchers:
Mrs Ioana Mulipola
,
Associate Professor Sione Vaka
,
Professor Eleanor Holroyd
Health issue:
Mental health (and sleep disorders)
Proposal type:
Pacific Health Clinical Training Fellowship
Lay summary
The ‘person and family centred care’ approach resonates with Samoans as the person functions in a relational and collective entity with his family, village, community, church and environment. In addition, the Samoan indigenous research framework of Fa’afaletui will be employed for the methodology. This is a qualitative exploratory study aimed at exploring Samoan families of service users’ experiences of the current ‘family centred’ mental health service focus. Data will be collected by way of family focus group discussions, using indicative questions in both the Samoan and English language. Braun and Clarke's (2014) thematic analysis will guide this study to identify themes embedded within the focus groups that relate and can be guided by the Fa’afaletui framework. This study will provide a platform for mental health services in CMH to re-examine its focus and model of care for Samoans thereby ensuring a targeted approach to the cultural needs of the service users/families.