The Minister of Health, Hon Andrew Little, today announced $68.3 million in new project and programme grants awarded by the Health Research Council. Here we feature a newly funded Pacific health project led by Associate Professor El-Shadan Tautolo.
Almost 1000 Pacific youth living mainly in South Auckland will be invited to take part in newly funded research to explore how cultural identity, family environments and employment affect their mental health – and how their experiences can be used to improve mental health services for Pacific youth.
Director of the AUT Pacific Health Research Centre at Auckland University of Technology, Associate Professor El-Shadan Tautolo (pictured), has received a $1.2 million Pacific Project Grant from the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) in its latest funding round to carry out this research. His is one of a record five HRC Pacific Project Grants funded this year to a combined total of $5.79 million.
Associate Professor Tautolo, of Cook Islands and Samoan heritage, is also lead investigator for the HRC-funded Pacific Islands Families (PIF) Study, which has tracked the health and development of a large cohort of 1398 Pacific children born in South Auckland in 2000.
As part of this new project, he and his team will interview members of the PIF cohort, who are now aged 21, about the specific cultural, family and employment factors that influence their mental health and wellbeing in either positive or negative ways.
“We know Pacific people in New Zealand carry a higher burden of psychological distress and mental disorders than the general population, with our Pacific youth aged 16 to 24 disproportionately affected, and that they are less likely to access mental health services. Disruptions to schooling and increases in unemployment associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have only added to the pressures some of our young people face,” says Associate Professor Tautolo.
He says this latest research is not about producing statistics that highlight what we already know, but about identifying tangible ways in which we can turn these mental health inequities around.
“For our team, a big part of this research is about identifying the situations and ways of coping that have had a positive influence on our Pacific youth, that have enhanced their resilience, and working out how we can unpack those in such a way that they can be shared to help others who are struggling mentally.”
An advisory group made up of largely Pacific experts working in the mental health sector will support the research team and help ensure that their findings are disseminated widely to have the biggest possible impact. Members of this group include representatives from the Ministry of Pacific Peoples, New Zealand Mental Health Foundation, Waitematā District Health Board, and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission.
“The evidence we collect will be used by key stakeholders and agencies to design policies and implement strategies to ensure our growing numbers of vibrant and gifted Pacific young adults can thrive and contribute to a prosperous future for their families and the wider New Zealand society,” says Associate Professor Tautolo.
HRC Chief Executive Professor Sunny Collings says this study has the distinct advantage of being able to build upon the significant data gathered from the 21-year PIF Study – the longest longitudinal study of Pacific people in the world – to support meaningful changes and solutions to Pacific mental health and wellbeing in New Zealand.
In addition, she says the all-Pacific research team, which spans the range of senior, emerging and young researchers just starting out, should provide a great space for Pacific researchers to develop and grow.
“El-Shadan was recently appointed chair of the HRC’s Pacific Health Research Committee, and he is a passionate advocate for developing and mentoring young Pacific health researchers. We are proud to have supported him throughout his academic career, beginning with an HRC Summer Studentship back in 2004 and continuing with PhD, postdoctoral and project grants,” says Professor Collings.
In addition to five Pacific Project grants, the HRC also awarded 31 general Project grants ($36.64 million), five Rangahau Hauora Māori grants ($5.91 million) and four Programme grants ($19.99 million), bringing its latest research investment to a total of $68.3 million.
See below for the full list of 2021 Pacific Project Grant recipients. To read lay summaries about any of these Pacific Projects, go to hrc.govt.nz/resources/research-repository and filter by proposal type ‘Project’ and year ‘2021’.
Note: Video footage of Associate Professor Tautolo talking about the impacts of the Pacific Islands Families Study is available to view here.
2021 Pacific Project Grant recipients
Dr Allamanda Faatoese, University of Otago, Christchurch
Are all tests created equal? NT-proBNP measurement in Pasifika vs European New Zealanders
36 months, $1,106,003
Dr Malakai Ofanoa, The University of Auckland
Pasifika intervention to increase uptake of urate lowering therapy for gout
36 months, $1,106,323
Dr Teuila Percival, Moana Research
Pasifika B4school: Exploring child and family wellbeing
36 months, $1,179,394
Associate Professor El-Shadan Tautolo, Auckland University of Technology
Pacific Islands Families: Thriving Pacific Young Adults (PIF: TPYA)
36 months, $1,199,365
Associate Dean Collin Tukuitonga, The University of Auckland
Knowledge, attitudes and practices of COVID-19 among Pacific people in Aotearoa
36 months, $1,199,482