Ūloa: Rethinking mental health provision in Pacific Island communities

Abstract

Modern mental health services fail to effectively cater for migrant Pacific Island communities, which have different worldviews and ways of knowing. At the University of Waikato, Associate Professor Sione Vaka has developed the ūloa model of care, which draws inspiration from traditional research methods and ways of life. The ūloa model offers Pacific-centred mental health services with cultural appropriateness and equitable outcomes.