Incorporating Sociocultural Beliefs in Mental Health Services in Kwaio, Solomon Islands

Harrington³

et al. 2012

Int J Equity Health

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IntroductionCapacity building has been employed in international health and development sectors to describe the process of ‘experts’ from more resourced countries training people in less resourced countries. Hence the concept has an implicit power imbalance based on ‘expert’ knowledge. In 2011, a health research strengthening workshop was undertaken at Atoifi Adventist Hospital, Solomon Islands to further strengthen research skills of the Hospital and College of Nursing staff and East Kwaio community leaders through partnering in practical research projects. The workshop was based on participatory research frameworks underpinned by decolonising methodologies, which sought to challenge historical power imbalances and inequities. Our research question was, “Is research capacity strengthening a two-way process?”MethodsIn this qualitative study, five Solomon Islanders and five Australians each responded to four open-ended questions about their experience of the research capacity strengthening workshop and activities: five chose face to face interview, five chose to provide written responses. Written responses and interview transcripts were inductively analysed in NVivo 9.ResultsSix major themes emerged. These were: Respectful relationships; Increased knowledge and experience with research process; Participation at all stages in the research process; Contribution to public health action; Support and sustain research opportunities; and Managing challenges of capacity strengthening. All researchers identified benefits for themselves, their institution and/or community, regardless of their role or country of origin, indicating that the capacity strengthening had been a two-way process.ConclusionsThe flexible and responsive process we used to strengthen research capacity was identified as mutually beneficial. Using community-based participatory frameworks underpinned by decolonising methodologies is assisting to redress historical power imbalances and inequities and is helping to sustain the initial steps taken to establish a local research agenda at Atoifi Hospital. It is our experience that embedding mutuality throughout the research capacity strengthening process has had great benefit and may also benefit researchers from more resourced and less resourced countries wanting to partner in research capacity strengthening activities.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mutual research capacity strengthening: a qualitative study of two-way partnerships in public health research

Redman-MacLaren

Harrington³

et al. 2012

Int J Equity Health

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“…JA is a Mental Health Instructor for Malaita Province, based at Atoifi Hospital in East Kwaio. 11 Most people in this region live in villages along the coast, on low-lying islands and adjacent atolls. There is no road access to the region, so people travel by boat or canoe or walk.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental health issues from rising sea level in a remote coastal region of the Solomon Islands: current and future

Asugeni¹,

Massey

et al. 2015

Australas Psychiatry

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Objective: There is little published research about mental health and climate change in the Pacific, including Solomon Islands. Solomon Islands has one of the highest rates of sea-level rise globally. The aim of this research was to document mental health issues related to sea-level rise for people in East Malaita, Solomon Islands. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out in six low-lying villages in East Malaita, Solomon Islands. The researcher travelled to villages by dugout canoe. In addition to quantitative, closed-ended questions, open-ended questions with villagers explored individual and community responses to rising sea level. Results: Of 60 people asked, 57 completed the questionnaire. Of these, 90% reported having seen a change in the weather patterns. Nearly all participants reported that sea-level rise is affecting them and their family and is causing fear and worry on a personal and community level. Four themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: experience of physical impacts of climate change; worry about the future; adaptation to climate change; government response needed. Conclusion: Given predictions of ongoing sea-level rise in the Pacific it is essential that more research is conducted to further understand the human impact of climate change for small island states which will inform local, provincial and national-level mental health responses.

“…New, culturally informed methods of collecting, analysing and disseminating research findings are now possible because of the involvement of people at Atoifi and surrounding villages. 1 In the series of workshops there are morning and evening sessions, with practical 'skills' sessions each afternoon. The morning session is mainly in Solomon Pijin and Kwaio language and the evening session mainly in English.…”

Section: The Atoifi Health Research Groupmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strengthening research capacity in the Pacific: an example from the Atoifi Health Research Group, Solomon Islands

Asugeni²,

Redman-MacLaren

2015

Australas Psychiatry

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Given different social, cultural, economic, geographic, spiritual and service contexts across the Pacific, locally appropriate approaches need to be considered. Such approaches challenge the orthodox approach of centralized investment to replicate specialist driven approaches of funder nations. Increasing expertise at all levels through participatory capacity building models that define and address local problems may be more sustainable and responsive to local mental health contexts.