Bula bula ni vakasama or mental health is our emotional (bula ni uqe), psychological (vakasama) and social well being (sautu ni bula ni veimaliwai) and maintaining a healthy balance of the three with a dash of fitness and a sprinkle of resilience is very important in leading happy and healthy lives.

 

In Fiji, youths take mental health for granted and don't seem to focus too much on it as a topic for discussion. This is because this topic is marinated in stigma. Growing up - Saint Giles Psychiatric Hospital was known as the mad house and if you were naughty and broke the rules you would end up there, mental illness was associated with witchcraft and black magic, suicide was such a sinful and shameful act and reaching out for help was a sign of weakness. This stigma has created a generation of young people who lack help seeking behavior, indulge in negative and harmful coping mechanisms when dealing with stress. So when the emotions become overwhelming - some young people prefer suicide then reach out for help.

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Almost every single day in Fiji (the paradise everyone speaks of) a young person attempts or completes suicide  and this is because our communities have failed at creating environments and spaces of care and acceptance where youths facing distress could access support. We have reached a critical stage where a child as young as 7 years old has completed suicide to end the immense emotional pain he was experiencing and still very little is done to provide support and advocate on pre-intervention strategies. 

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As young people we must demand for the establishment of youth initiated and youth led programs that provides peer support, counselling , training and awareness programs on identifying signs and possible strategies for assisting someone in distress. Young people make up majority of the regional suicide statistics which is the leading cause of death among our peers but still there is very limited funds channeled into mental health programs and limited priority given to mental health in general.

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We can do several things that are free of charge to help in reducing the statistics:

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1. Talk to our children/youth about mental health 

2. Encourage young people to talk about their problems and reach out for support

3. Provide safe and enabling spaces where children and youths are able to talk about problems

4. Know which services are available in your area that provides support and counselling and you can refer youths to

5. Monitor your friends and families statuses on social media. Sometimes a simple post could tell you that they are experiencing some problems and may need to speak to someone

6. Invest in self care strategies (stroll, gym, music, art, swim, nature walks, hiking, family, journal, blog, talk)

7. Share positive messages with those you meet and those you are associated with 

8. Smile at everyone you meet including the cashier, cleaner, driver, employer, canteen lady/man)

9. Read motivating/inspiring books, watch motivational videos (have a screening in your community)

10. Love like never before. Unconditional love. Tell all those you love how much you love them.

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Remember: There is always HOPE