Housing insecurity and mental health major concerns for Pacific youth

Unstable mental health, housing deprivation and experiences of racism are worrying trends in a significant new report on Pacific students in Aotearoa.

The report, co-led by researchers at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Auckland, has uncovered major inequities in mental health, deprivation, and racism in Pacific secondary school students in New Zealand, but also notes significant progress in areas like feeling safe at school and lowered substance abuse.

The report, Talavou o le Moana, has found that while Pacific students are largely thriving and connected in areas like family, school and church, they also face high rates of deprivation, poverty and racism, say lead author Dr Analosa Veukiso-Ulugia, a senior lecturer and Health Research Council postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Auckland and Moana Connect.

Veukiso-Ulugia says the fact that more Pacific students feel safe at school (up from 71.8% in 2001 to 85.9% in 2019) and that cigarette smoking and binge drinking have substantially dropped (the former from 20.2% in 2001 to just 4.3% in 2019, and the latter from 23.2% in 2001 to 12.7% in 2019) shows that’s possible to make major changes, but inequity continues to hold back Pacific young people.

“Almost half of Pacific students experienced housing deprivation,” she says. “Their families worried about not having enough money for rent or mortgage, and almost half reported not always feeling safe in their neighbourhood. More than a third reported experiencing racism (40.5%), with a further quarter unsure if an experience was a racist encounter (25.2%).”

Mental health was also a big area of concern.

Associate Professor Terry Fleming from Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Health was a Senior Author on the project and says that much like other Western nations Aotearoa has seen rapid increases in youth distress in the last decade.

“This has very much affected Pacific young people, with over one-third of Pacific girls and one in six Pacific boys reporting significant symptoms of depression”.

Associate Professor Fleming says the statistics are alarming and it is vital that the mental health and wellbeing needs of Pacific young people are addressed. The research and communities outline three core areas for progression:

  • Responsive culturally appropriate services;
  • Supporting the peers, family, and community members who provide critical day-to-day support, encouragement, and care for young people and are the first place that young people turn;
  • Prevention including addressing well-known risk factors that increase mental health problems including poverty, housing insecurity, and discrimination, so that all young people have inclusive positive school and community experiences and futures they can look forward to.

Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban, Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika) provided the foreword for the report and says that young people are our future.

“I am constantly encouraged by the wonderful young Pacific people I meet at university, and in the community, working hard to achieve success. It is great to see Pasifika researchers and interns involved in the development of this report. The more that we can know and understand about the health and wellbeing of Pacific Island secondary students in Aotearoa New Zealand the better equipped we are to support their future development.”

Associate Dean Pacific at the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Sir Collin Tukuitonga, who spoke at the webinar launch of the report, says these are “unacceptable statistics that must be urgently addressed”.

A report by the Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee revealed that between 2015 and 2019, 79 Pacific young people aged 15 to 19 died of medical conditions, suicide and injury; with transport incidents being the leading cause of injury death.

The report recommends that in the short term, Pacific students’ basic needs must be met, but to create a more equitable future, governments and other agencies must partner with Pacific young people, their families and communities and invest in more quality research with and for them.

Based on data from the Youth19 Rangatahi Smart survey, Talavou o le Moana looks at ethnic and gender identity; family and faith; socioeconomic environment and housing; education, friends and community; physical, mental and sexual health and substance use and healthcare access.

The survey was carried out in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), Tai Tokerau and Waikato in 2019, accounting for approximately 70 percent of the Pacific population. Pacific students comprised 14.6% (1,130) of 7,721 Year 9 to 13 students from 45 secondary schools.

Associate Professor Fleming says that the report was instigated by two Victoria University of Wellington students.

“We were delighted to support the two students who instigated this work and work with an esteemed group to share these results which can help Aotearoa understand and address the needs of Pacific youth.”

Talavou o le Moana builds on previous Youth2000 surveys conducted by the Adolescent Health Research Group which began in 1999 and has included information from more than 36,000 young people across Aotearoa.

Talavou o le Moana was written by Dr Analosa Veukiso-Ulugia, Sarah McLean-Orsborn, Professor Terryann Clark, Brad Drayton and Dr Esther Yao from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland and Brooke Kuresa and Associate Professor Terry Fleming from Victoria University of Wellington. It is available at www.youth19.ac.nz.