Lay summary
Pacific youth in Aotearoa New Zealand are less likely to seek psychological help due to stigma and there is a scarcity of research on psychological approaches that are culturally relevant for Pacific youth. Hence, the development of Loto Malie, a cultural clinical mental health intervention based on a relational framework of connection for grounding mental health tools. The effectiveness and scaling up Loto Malie to benefit other Pacific ethnic-specific groups will be a focal point of the study. The aim of the research is to strengthen Pacific youth mental wellbeing and grow the Pacific community leadership capability and capacity for workforce development. Therefore, a fundamental aspect of this research is to upskill and provide training to Pacific community leaders who have used Loto Malie to ensure the target population (youth) has access to culturally appropriate interventions to improve mental health outcomes for Pacific people.