Intentional self-harm and suicidal behaviour in children and young people is a serious issue.

This is a global concern and it is prevalent in the Pacific, according to a team from the Brigham Young University in the United States.

The team is in Fiji this week to conduct research on mental health and also explore ways to prevent self-harm behaviour – in particular suicide.

Assistant Professor Counseling Psychology and Special Education, Kawika Allen says the rate of suicide in the Pacific Island States such as Fiji has doubled.

”This is a personal sort of mission for me to understand the well-being of our people, right, specifically, so I’ve travelled to American Samoa, I’ve travelled to Aotearoa, I’ve traveled to Hawaii multiple times. And now we’re in Fiji. And so our mission is to travel across the South Pacific and understand the issues, the risks around mental health struggles.”

Prof Allen says the research results can be used to improve the status of mental health care and the team here will involve college students, counsellors and other participants.

Psychotherapist Selina Kuruleca is assisting the team and says such projects will also help her understand the effectiveness of the support systems in Fiji.

“All of the intervention and preventative measures that we use here is again based on global best practice so it is good that we have research like this being done maybe it will tell us what we can so specifically for Fiji.”

The research funded by Brigham Young University is also centred on reducing the stigma around mental health issues.