Abstract

Despite increasing mental health concerns, individuals from the Pacific Islands largely do not utilize the resources available to them (National Survey of Drug Use and Health, 2020). This is of particular concern among male adolescents within the population who are more at risk of mental health concerns. An interpretative phenomenological analysis focus group study was conducted in person with male adolescent Pacific Islanders (PI; ages 14–16) residing in one Western state (n = 3). Male adolescents reported that admitting to mental health concerns would greatly limit their academic, career, and personal ambitions due to the stigma attached. They also discussed religiosity as a protective factor and gave a number of individuals within their lives that could potentially be helpful to them in this area. In terms of stigma and perception, some participants described situations in which they discussed their mental health concerns to others within their community and their feelings were dismissed as being invalid or unimportant. In addition, several participants discussed the familial shame they would experience if they were to utilize mental health services. With regard to the cultural fit between practitioners and students, many students explained they felt uncomfortable being vulnerable with therapists outside their ethnic community. They felt that being open with their mental health concerns would give a poor impression of their PI community to therapists outside of their community. More research is needed to discover which groups to target within the community to impact the largest change in perception of mental health services across the community.

Degree

EdS

College and Department

David O. McKay School of Education; Counseling Psychology and Special Education

Rights

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