Lay summary
Samoans believe mental health (MH) and wellbeing is achieved when having good relationships and connections with family, community and others. Mental illness is linked to disrespecting the sacred space with others by actions, words and behaviours. In New Zealand, the model of MH care delivery is dominated by western understandings that are not aligned with the Fa’a Samoa/Pacific worldview. This gap in understanding can disadvantage Samoan consumers as shown in health outcome reports and statistics. My research will explore the use of Gagana Samoa (Samoan language) to understand MH in the Samoan family, and how health providers support Samoans' MH needs when accessing care. Through talanoa with Samoan consumers and āiga about MH understanding in Gagana Samoa, and talanoa with Samoan/Pacific mental health providers in South Auckland, we aim to highlight the value of cultural knowledge and language in MH care to improve access, address stigma, and improve MH outcomes for Samoan/Pacific consumers in Aotearoa New Zealand.