Filling a significant gap in the cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary literature within the field of Pasifika (Polynesian) and Maori identities and mental health, this volume focuses on bridging mental health related research and practice within the indigenous communities of the South Pacific. Much of the content reflects both differences from and relationships with the dominant Western theories and practices so often unsuccessfully applied with these groups. The contributors represent both experienced researchers and practitioners and address topics such as research examining traditional and emerging Pasifika identities; contemporary research and practice in working with Pasifika youth and adolescents; culturally-appropriate approaches for working with Pasifika adults; and practices in supervision that have been developed by Maori and Pasifika practitioners. Chapters include practice scenarios, research reports, analyses of topical issues, and discussions about the appropriateness of applying Western theory in other cultural contexts. As Pasifika cultures are still primarily oral cultures, the works of several leading Maori and Pasifika poets that give voice to the changing identities and contemporary challenges within Pacific communities are also included.

This diverse collection of essays examines important issues related to mental health among Pacific Islanders through the topics of identity, spirituality, the unconscious, mental trauma, and healing. Contributors: Emeline Afeaki-Mafile‘o, Margaret Nelson Agee, Siautu Alefaio, A. Aukahi Austin, Tina Berking, Philip Culbertson, Caroline Salumalo Fatialofa, Yvette Guttenbeil-Po‘uhila, Joseph Keawe‘aimoku Kaholokula, David Lui, Karen Lupe, Maika Lutui, Cabrini ‘Ofa Makasiale, Tavita T. Maliko, Peta Pila Palalagi, Suiamai Simi, Seilosa Skipps-Patterson, Karanina Siaosi Sumeo, To‘oa Jemaima Tiatia, Sione Tu‘itahi, Fia T. Turner-Tupou.

As a region, the Pacific is changing rapidly. This edited collection, the first of its kind, centres Pacific-Indigenous ways of knowing, doing and being in Pacific social work. In so doing, the authors decolonise the dominant western rhetoric that is evident in contemporary social work practice in the region and rejuvenate practice models with evolving Pacific perspectives. Pacific Social Work: • Incorporates Pacific epistemologies and ontologies in social and community work practice, social policy and research • Profiles contemporary Pacific needs – including health, education, environmental, justice and welfare • Demonstrates the application of Pacific-Indigenous knowledges in practice in diverse Pacific contexts • Examines Pacific-Indigenous research approaches to promote inform practice and positive outcomes • Reviews Pacific models of social and community work and their application • Fosters Pacific perspectives for social work and community work education and training in the Pacific region. Pacific Social Work demonstrates the role of social work within societies where social and cultural differences are evident, and practitioners, community groups, researchers, educators, and governments are encouraged to consider the integration between local indigenous and international knowledge and practice. Providing rigorously researched case studies, questions and exercises, this book will be a key learning resource for social work and human and community services students, practitioners, social services managers and policy makers in Australia, New Zealand and various Pacific Island states across the Pacific including Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.

Academic survey of the Pacific Islands. Includes maps, photographs, tables, diagrams, atlas, and detailed index.

Developed to examine the needs and opportunities for cardiovascular health promotion for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). Provides an overview of the status of cardiovascular disease among AAPIs and shares knowledge gained from successful community-based projects across the country.

The Asia-Pacific region has not only the greatest concentration of population but is, arguably, the future economic centre of the world. Epidemiological transition in the region is occurring much faster than it did in the West and many countries face the emerging problem of chronic diseases at the same time as they continue to grapple with communicable diseases. This book explores how disease patterns and health problems in Asia and the Pacific, and collective responses to them, have been shaped over time by cultural, economic, social, demographic, environmental and political factors. With fourteen chapters, each devoted to a country in the region, the authors take a comparative and historical approach to the evolution of public health and preventive medicine, and offer a broader understanding of the links in a globalizing world between health on the one hand and culture, economy, polity and society on the other. Public Health in Asia and the Pacific presents the importance of the non-medical context in the history of human disease, as well as the significance of disease in the larger histories of the region. It will appeal to scholars and policy makers in the fields of public health, the history of medicine, and those with a wider interest in the Asia-Pacific region.

Environmental determinants of health are responsible for more than a quarter of the burden of disease in the Western Pacific Region. Communicable and noncommunicable disease disability and death result from a lack of safe water and sanitation indoor and outdoor air pollution hazardous chemicals occupational hazards and climate-related disasters. The Western Pacific Regional Framework for Action on Health and Environment on a Changing Planet intends to relaunch the World Health Organization (WHO) s Health and the Environment programme and fulfil its mandate in the area of environmental health. It proposes to leverage the health sector focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) process providing guidance for prioritizing the work of WHO in support of Member States improving health outcomes through action on environmental determinants. It articulates entry points for health and environment priority actions in WHO country cooperation strategies the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and other mechanisms for international collaboration and notably with the United Nations Environment Programme and ministries of environment. The framework also sets a course for the health sector to advocate adaptive measures policies and action to protect health and well-being as a co-benefit of interventions in energy agriculture transport housing and other spheres.

This seventh edition of Health at a Glance Asia/Pacific presents a set of key indicators of health status, the determinants of health, health-care resources and utilisation, health-care expenditure and financing, and quality of care across 27 Asia-Pacific countries and territories. It also provides a series of dashboards to compare performance across countries and territories, and a thematic analysis on the health impact of COVID-19.

There is serious concern about the impact of the changing climate. The WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific has taken the initiative in addressing health issues related to climate change but further action is needed to support efforts to confront climate change in Member States and in various sectors. Health must be mainstreamed into efforts to address climate change and action must be coordinated and integrated across national boundaries and in all sectors. This report synthesizes information and approaches on climate change and health pertinent to Member States in the Western Pacific Region. It also examines efforts and initiatives by various experts and stakeholders with an in-depth look at experiences in seven Member States that reflect the diversity of the Region. Finally it offers recommendations for policy-makers.

Across the globe, evaluating the initiatives and planning strategies of the modern workforce has become increasingly imperative. By developing professional competencies, various sectors can achieve better quality skill development. Workforce Development Theory and Practice in the Mental Health Sector is an essential reference source on the understanding of workforce capacity and capability and examines specific benefits and applications in addiction and mental health services. Featuring extensive coverage on a range of topics including public service provision, staff motivation, and clinical competency, this book is ideally designed for policy makers, academicians, researchers, and students seeking current research on the challenges facing countries in the areas of planning and development in the workforce.