Samoa

Before mental health was more understood in Samoa, people with “madness and violence” were housed in prisons (Nelson, 2015). Treatment was mainly custodial, psychotropic medications were rarely used, and families never visited. The families believed that they suffered from demoniac illness and required treatment with traditional medicines for relief and recovery. There were no trained mental health care workers to provide professional care. Accommodated in prison and often isolated for many years, the patients were both stigmatized and institutionalized. Currently, mental health care services encompass both clinical and family-focused community components as the “mental well being is grounded in the aiga [family] and community” (World Health Organization, 2006, p. 3). 

In Samoa, most of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are involved in providing informal mental health services (World Health Organization, 2006). There are specific programs such as suicide awarness or alcoholic support that are provided by these NGO’s (World Health Organization, 2006). These services provide the majority of mental health care because of the lack of other mental health services (World Health Organization, 2006). The counselling services in schools and other areas lacking the proper care have yet to be established (World Health Organization, 2006). The World Health Organization (2006) further explains that these services are rarely provided by people with the proper training.

In summary, Samoa has made major changes to implement mental health services into its healthcare system. This evidence shows that there is positive progress in regards to awareness of mental health and mental illness in Samoa currently, but much more work needs to occur (Nelson, 2015).