Garrett Melia Fonoimoana, Cutrer-Párraga Elizabeth A, Allen G E Kawika, Young Ellie L, Urbina Kristofer J, Hull Isabel Medina
School Psychology Department, Nebo School District, Spanish Fork, UT 84660, USA.
Counseling Psychology & Special Education, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025 Jan 4;22(1):62. doi: 10.3390/ijerph22010062.
Given rising mental health concerns among Pacific Islander (PI) adolescents, this population remains underserved by available mental health resources. This interpretative phenomenological analysis with focus groups (IPA-FG) examined the lived experiences and perceptions of 19 male PI adolescents (ages 14-16) from Native Hawaiian, Maori, Samoan, and Tongan backgrounds regarding mental health help-seeking behaviors. Four overarching themes emerged: stigma and judgment, cultural misalignment in professional services, impact of disclosure and perceived punitive consequences, and a complex ecosystem of trusted relationships as mental health support. Notably, participants expressed belief that disclosing mental health challenges would "ruin their lives" and held misconceptions about adults' ability to address mental health concerns. These findings are particularly significant given high suicidality rates among PI adolescents. This study provides insights for developing culturally responsive mental health interventions and highlights the urgent need to address mental health stigma within PI communities. Implications for practice are discussed.
鉴于太平洋岛民（PI）青少年的心理健康问题日益受到关注，这一群体在现有心理健康资源方面仍未得到充分服务。这项聚焦小组的解释性现象学分析（IPA-FG）研究了19名来自夏威夷原住民、毛利人、萨摩亚人和汤加背景的14至16岁男性PI青少年在寻求心理健康帮助行为方面的生活经历和看法。出现了四个总体主题：耻辱感和评判、专业服务中的文化错位、披露的影响和感知到的惩罚后果，以及作为心理健康支持的复杂信任关系生态系统。值得注意的是，参与者表示相信披露心理健康挑战会“毁了他们的生活”，并且对成年人解决心理健康问题的能力存在误解。鉴于PI青少年的自杀率很高，这些发现尤为重要。本研究为制定具有文化适应性的心理健康干预措施提供了见解，并强调了在PI社区解决心理健康耻辱感的迫切需要。还讨论了对实践的启示。
