MENTAL health is an essential part of our overall well-being.
It affects how we think, feel, cope with stress, make decisions, maintain relationships and deal with the demands of everyday life, at home, work and in the community.
Good mental health does not mean a person never experiences sadness, anxiety or hardship. Instead, it means having the support and resources to manage life’s challenges and recover when difficulties arise.
For people living with mental illness, that support can make the difference between rebuilding lives and being left to struggle alone.
The experience of the Psychiatric Survivors’ Association (PSA) shows why Fiji must look beyond the hospital structure and treatment when addressing mental health.
Association member and survivor Aca Tamanitoakula says people with mental illness continue to face stigma, marginalisation and barriers to justice.
His observation that “your right is taken away” should concern every Fijian. Mental illness must never become a reason to disregard someone’s dignity, voice or legal rights.
The association has about 500 official members and provides legal assistance, rehabilitation and community support, including help for people leaving St Giles Hospital and the correctional system.
Its work highlights a weakness in mental health service delivery and emphasises that treatment cannot end when a patient leaves hospital. Recovery often requires continued care, a stable home environment, family understanding, opportunities to earn a living and access to professional support.
Without these, people facing mental health issue may struggle to reintegrate and the risk of relapse may remain. There have been four relapse cases this year.
Tamanitoakula’s account of responding calmly when members experience difficulties shows the value of patience and understanding.
However, community groups should not be left to carry responsibilities that require trained professionals and sustained public funding.
Fiji must examine whether mental health services provide adequate follow-up care, counselling, community-based support and practical assistance after discharge.
Mental health services must be accessible before a crisis occurs, not only when someone requires hospital admission, and early intervention, regular follow-up, trained community health workers and clear referral pathways.
Families also need guidance to recognise warning signs and support loved ones without fear or prejudice.
The Government should strengthen partnerships with organisations such as the PSA, provide reliable funding for rehabilitation programs and legal assistance, and ensure that people with lived experience help shape mental health policies.
Tamanitoakula offers a message worth remembering: “There’s more to life” so that people can “overcome the barriers” and become productive members of the country.
Why? Because people living with mental illness deserve an opportunity to live with dignity.
