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Commentary on ‘Cultural Diversity Across the Pacific’: Samoan Cultural Constructs of Emotion, New Zealand-Born Samoan Youth Suicidal Behaviours, and Culturally Competent Human Services

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dc.contributor.author Tiatia, Jemaima
dc.date.accessioned 2021-12-01T00:24:55Z
dc.date.available 2021-12-01T00:24:55Z
dc.date.issued 2012
dc.identifier.uri ${sadil.baseUrl}/handle/123456789/832
dc.description 6 p en_US
dc.description.abstract A recent special section on cultural diversity across the Pacific, in this journal, highlighted the need for greater alignment between human services and cultural diversity in the region. Alignment entails detailing a local context. Samoan cultural constructs of emotion, particularly anger and shame, may precede suicidal behaviours among New Zealand-born (NZ-born) Samoan youth. These behaviours can stem from perceived ruptures in family unity, as youth partly identify with majority norms. A barrier to integration faced by acculturating youth is that the young person either lives with the shame of their offence, or avoids it by taking their life. It seems Samoan cultural constructs of emotion must be considered in effective service delivery for this population. Consistent with the articles in the special section, suicide prevention should focus on developing culturally competent tools tailored for NZ-born Samoan youth, so they may communicate their feelings without fear of disrupting cultural prescriptions and expectations, as well as functioning successfully in both the Samoan and Western worlds. Although the point is discussed in relation to one special population in the Pacific region, it is consistent with an emergent theme in the special section and subsequent commentaries: the need to integrate and acculturate human services. en_US
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.publisher University of Auckland en_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries JOURNAL OF PACIFIC RIM PSYCHOLOGY;Volume 6, Issue 2 pp. 75–79
dc.subject suicide prevention en_US
dc.subject pacific mental health en_US
dc.subject youth suicide en_US
dc.subject cultural competency en_US
dc.subject Samoans en_US
dc.subject emotion en_US
dc.title Commentary on ‘Cultural Diversity Across the Pacific’: Samoan Cultural Constructs of Emotion, New Zealand-Born Samoan Youth Suicidal Behaviours, and Culturally Competent Human Services en_US
dc.type Article en_US


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