Rising cultural and family expectations are pushing more people into stress, burnout, and anxiety, with men, women and young professionals increasingly struggling under obligations they feel unable to refuse, according to Empower Pacific chief executive Patrick Morgan.
Mr Morgan said Empower Pacific was seeing a growing number of clients seeking help after becoming overwhelmed by expectations tied to family, culture and tradition.
“Clients do experience stress or burnout, which at times are very much linked to our cultural and family expectations,” he said.
He said through community awareness sessions, counselling and social work support, Empower Pacific had encountered individuals who felt deep anxiety after being unable to meet cultural obligations because of financial hardship and limited family support.
“Individuals have expressed having feelings of being stressed and feeling anxious due to not being able to fulfill family and cultural/traditional obligations … due to being financially unstable without much family support. Men are the most affected group as they are often viewed as the sole persons responsible in fulfilling family and cultural obligations within a household,” he said.
Women, he said, faced “double duty”, supporting their spouses while also managing household and caregiving responsibilities. Young professionals, particularly those from families with status, were also under pressure to support parents, extended family and the vanua they came from.
He said cultural values of obligation and service strongly influenced help-seeking behaviour, often acting as a barrier.
“It is often seen as a barrier and a challenge as it signifies to many as a call of duty that cannot be exempted, no matter what the cost.”
He said refusing or questioning obligations could be seen as disrupting group harmony, leading many individuals to suppress emotions rather than seek help.
Mr Morgan said many clients struggled to set boundaries due to fear of rejection, conflict or violating cultural norms.
“This can lead to emotional exhaustion, resentment, and worsened mental health outcomes like anxiety or depression.
“One of the best ways forward is by training community members such as religious leaders, elders, or teachers to act as frontline support.”
He said partnerships between mental health professionals and faith communities, alongside advocacy that respects individual limits, could help reduce burnout while honouring culture.
