Child and Adolescent Psychiatry International Relations (CAPIR): building bridges for psychiatry workforce capacity with Pacific Island nations

Abstract

Objective: To describe the span of work of child and adolescent psychiatrists in Australia and New Zealand in recent years aimed at collaborative efforts to build mental health capacity in the Pacific Island nations of Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands, Tonga, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Method: Steps taken to coordinate resourcing, networking, delivery of appropriate initiatives, establishing and maintaining key relationships with partners are described. Results: Engagement with Pacific nations mental health professionals, ministries of health, NGOs, universities, multilateral agencies and professional and international organisations has expanded and strengthened since 2013. Conclusions: Planned and staged implementation of initiatives can harness RANZCP (and its faculties and interest groups) goodwill to effectively contribute to psychiatry and mental health capacity building in partnerships with Pacific Island nations to address mental health needs over the life-span.