A new branch of Mapu Maia, a Pacific mental health and addiction service, has officially opened in Christchurch, New Zealand. The service, which has been operating since 2009, has already been providing support in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, and Wellington. However, this new Christchurch location marks an important step in expanding culturally tailored mental health care to the South Island, where the need for such services has been growing in recent years.
Addressing the Need for Culturally Competent Mental Health Services
The importance of culturally tailored mental health services cannot be overstated, especially for New Zealand’s Pasifika communities. According to Philip Siataga, the Research and Workforce Development Manager at Mapu Maia, while mainstream services can certainly provide mental health support, Pacific-specific services are uniquely positioned to offer better engagement and care for the community.
“It’s not that mainstream services can’t [do it] – it’s just that we’re better at it, for our people, around engagement, familiarity, [and] language,” Siataga said.
He highlighted the growing recognition of the need for culturally competent services in the past 15 years, stressing the critical role such services play in engaging Pasifika individuals in the mental health system, especially as cultural barriers can be a significant deterrent in seeking help.
The new Christchurch facility aims to create a safe, culturally sensitive space for Pasifika individuals to receive mental health support, breaking down the social and cultural stigmas that can often prevent people from seeking help.
Breaking Down Barriers and Overcoming Stigma
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey attended the opening and emphasized that making mental health services more accessible often requires addressing the barriers of stigma and discrimination that communities face. He highlighted that services like Mapu Maia, which are deeply embedded within the Pasifika community, are crucial in overcoming these barriers. They are often trusted by the community because of their cultural understanding and personal connections.
“Quite often there can be a barrier, potentially about language, cultural competency and services,” Doocey said. “By working with services like Mapu Maia, they know their community; they know them quite often personally.”
The mental health minister also pointed out that the government is working to ensure that New Zealand’s mental health workforce reflects the country’s growing Pasifika population. In areas like the South Island, where the Pasifika population has nearly doubled in the last decade, there is an urgent need to ensure that the workforce matches this demographic growth.
Expanding Services in the South Island
The Pacific population in the South Island has grown rapidly, particularly in areas like Nelson, Marlborough, and Oamaru. In response to this, Mapu Maia’s chief executive, Tuala Pesio Ah-Honi, explained that there has been a growing demand for mental health services in these regions. Many RSE workers (Recognised Seasonal Employer workers) and their families are now residing in the South Island, bringing an increasing need for support.
“We have RSE workers working in the Nelson area, so we are seeing anecdotally quite a number of Pasifika living in these regions and growing, and we are getting a lot of requests for help,” said Tuala.
Addressing Mental Health Stigma in Pasifika Communities
Tuala also acknowledged that mental health distress is often overlooked in Pasifika cultures, where traditional beliefs about mental health may include phrases like, “praying will help you” or “just suck it up”. These views can contribute to a reluctance to seek help, with people feeling ashamed of needing mental health support.
“Our culture itself leans towards ‘praying will help you’, ‘just suck it up’, ‘you will be okay’, ‘carry on and be strong’, ‘you’re the man’,” said Tuala. However, she emphasized that with the new Mapu Maia facility in Christchurch, the goal is to create a safe space for Pasifika individuals to feel comfortable seeking help without judgment.
Mapu Maia’s Vision and Cultural Significance
The name Mapu Maia has deep cultural significance. “Mapu” means rest, and “Maia” means to come. Together, the name symbolizes an invitation to people in need, welcoming them into a supportive environment to rest and recover, both physically and emotionally.
“It’s an invitation to call people into our space, into our fale, into our home, to say, ‘come out of this hot sun, take a load off, have a rest, have a drink of water’,” Tuala explained. “It completely describes us as a service.”
By providing culturally competent mental health services, Mapu Maia offers more than just treatment — it offers a sense of community, understanding, and empowerment, inviting Pasifika people to access care in a culturally sensitive and supportive environment.
Looking Ahead
The expansion of Mapu Maia into Christchurch is a significant step toward meeting the mental health needs of New Zealand’s Pasifika population. As the South Island’s Pasifika population continues to grow, services like Mapu Maia are crucial for ensuring that these communities have access to the care and support they need.
As Siataga, Doocey, and Tuala all emphasized, the key to effective mental health care lies in cultural competence, and services that are built by and for the community will always have a greater impact. The opening of this new branch in Christchurch is just one example of how locally led, culturally aware services can help break down the barriers to mental health care and improve access for marginalized communities.
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