Abstract
Objectives: Using a multimethod approach, this study sought to identify the contribution of different facets of resilience to Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand's mental health and well-being and to explore the construct of resilience in the light of COVID-19 lockdowns.
Method: Study 1 (N = 88) included a Pacific community sample (67% female, 33% male; M = 39 years, range = 19-80 years). Participants completed a survey measuring personal, spiritual, family and community resilience, well-being, Pacific identity, and mental distress. Study 2 comprised a focus group of one male and three female Pacific university students and used photovoice and talanoa methods. Study 3 comprised two community focus groups of four Pacific men and three Pacific women and was conducted via Zoom using talanoa methods.
Results: In Study 1 greater well-being was associated with greater family resilience, whereas higher access to spiritual support and engagement were associated with lower mental distress. Eight themes were identified across Studies 2 and 3: resilience as overcoming adversity, nature as resilience, resilience as both personal and collective attributes, strength through adversity, vulnerability and coping, gratitude, responsibility that promotes individual resilience, and spirituality.
Conclusions: Taken together, our study demonstrated that Pacific peoples living in Aotearoa exhibit a range of personal, spiritual, and collective attributes that support their resilience, and we discuss the implications of these findings for our theories of resilience, especially for Indigenous groups.