Dr Jemaima Sipaea Tiatia-Seath

PhD, DPH, MA (Hons), BA

HOS - Te Wananga o Waipapa

In: Maori and Pacific Studies » Faculty of Arts

Biography

Jemaima Tiatia-Seath is currently Co-Head of School, Te Wānanga o Waipapa, School of Māori Studies and Pacific Studies, University of Auckland. She is of Samoan descent and has a community/public health background. She was one of six panellists on the New Zealand Government’s 2018 Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry. Her research interests include: Pacific Studies, mental health and wellbeing, Pacific suicide prevention and postvention, youth development, Pacific health inequities.

Research | Current

Principal investigator - Pacific Health Research Knowledge Translation project, Health Research Council of NZ (HRC) funded - 'Heilala Malu – Tongan Framework for Suicide Prevention Resource’ (2017).
Principal investigator for Te Ra o Te Waka Hourua funded - 'Pacific Suicide Postvention Guidelines' with Hibiscus Research Ltd (2017).
Principal investigator for Te Ra o Te Waka Hourua funded - 'Suicide Postvention: Support for Pacific Communities' with Hibiscus Research Ltd (2016) http://hdl.handle.net/2292/32391
Co-investigator - The University of Auckland Adolescent Health Research Group https://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/en/faculty/adolescent-health-research-group.html
Principal investigator - HRC and Ministry of Health Pacific Partnership Programme funded project - ‘Suicide Prevention for Tongan Youth in New Zealand' (2015).
Postdoctoral Pacific Health Research Fellowship HRC funded - 'Suicide and Samoans: The Journey Towards Prevention’ (2014).
HRC Pacific Health PhD Research Award - ‘Reasons to Live: NZ-born Samoan Young People's Responses to Suicidal Behaviours’ (2003).
Principal investigator - HRC Project Grant - ‘Pacific Youth Emergency Department Suicide Study’ (2000).

Teaching | Current

PACIFIC 100 - Introduction to Pacific Studies, Semester 1, 2019

PACIFIC 213/313 - Pacific Wellbeing: Empowering Dimensions, Semester 1, 2019

PACIFIC 702 - Pacific Research Methodologies, Semester 1, 2019

PACIFIC 105 - The Contemporary Pacific, Semester 2, 2019

PACIFIC 711 - Intervention, Prevention and Promotion of Pacific Wellbeing Semester 2, 2019

Postgraduate supervision

PhD in progress

2019: Veisinia Pulu-Lakai - Co-designing a community-based intervention programme for prediabetes. Pacific Health, Massey University (with Dr Ridvan Firestone and Prof. Barry Borman)

2017: Caleb Marsters - Run it straight! - Pasifika men, mental wellbeing and elite sports, Pacific Studies, University of Auckland

2016: Therese Kiely - Pacific young women’s images of God and mental wellbeing (with Caroline Blyth). Theology, University of Auckland

2015: Eliza Puna - Cook Islands youth: Positive mental health wellbeing and suicide prevention. Pacific Studies, University of Auckland

Masters in progress

2018: Pauline Rupeni - Akaupokotuanga i te Reo Māori: Learnings from Cook Islands communities and their youth (with Marcia Leenen-Young). Master of Arts, Pacific Studies, University of Auckland

Masters completed

2019: Sarah McLean - Depression in young Samoan females: The views of mental health service providers, Master of Arts, Pacific Studies, University of Auckland

2018: Joanna Minster - Cultural resilience and mental wellbeing among multi-ethnic Cook Islands young adults. Master of Public Health, School of Population Health, University of Auckland

2018: Sonia Pope - Exploring the intergenerational views of wellbeing among Tongan women (with Tanya Samu). Master of Arts, Education, University of Auckland

2018: Rose Palmer - Factors that foster positive mental health status in unpaid at-home caregivers for the elderly in New Zealand (with Ngaire Kerse). Dissertation for Master of Public Health, School of Population Health, University of Auckland

2018: Sili Pita - Navigating the historical context of incest in Samoa: 1900’s–2000s (with Damon Salesa). Master of Arts, Pacific Studies, University of Auckland

2017: Caleb Marsters - Young Pacific male athletes and positive mental health wellbeing. Master of Public Health, Pacific Health, University of Auckland

2016: Tony Patolo - Exploring young Pacific tertiary students’ views and experiences of bullying. Master of Arts, Pacific Studies, University of Auckland

2016: Desiree Chan Chui - Violence against women in Samoa: 1970s-1990s (with Damon Salesa). Master of Arts, Pacific Studies, University of Auckland

2015: Cecelia Faumuina Khaka - Malanga: The voice of positive dissonance. Master of Philosophy - Art and Design, AUT (with Dr Webley Ings and David Sinfield)

2013: Eliza Puna - New Zealand born Cook Islands youth views towards positive mental wellbeing and suicide prevention. Master of Public Health, University of Auckland

2013: Drollet Joseph - Culturally competent approaches in reducing obesity for Cook Islands people in New Zealand. Dissertation for Master of Arts, Pacific Studies, University of Auckland

Areas of expertise

Pacific suicide prevention, postvention and research
Pacific health and wellbeing
Youth development
Pacific studies
Mental health
Pacific cultural competencies
Injury prevention

Committees/Professional groups/Services

2018: Ministerial Appointment to the Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry

2017-current: Member of the New Zealand Rugby League NZ Wellbeing Committee

2014-2017: Appointed to the Health Quality & Safety Commission’s New Zealand Suicide Mortality Review Committee

2016-2017: Appointed to Unitec’s Standing Committee, Fono Faufautua Council

2016-2017: Committee member of the Health Promotion Agency's National Depression Initiative Advisory Group

2014-current: Committee member of the Mental Health Foundation's Suicide Bereavement Advisory

2014-current: Member of Ara Taiohi: For People Working with Young People

2014-current: Member of the International Association for Suicide Prevention

2012-2014: Member of the World Association of Cultural Psychiatry

2005-current: Member of PACIFICA (Pacific Allied Women’s Council Inspires Faith and Ideals Concerning All) Auckland Central Branch

Reviewer for:

Pacific Health Dialog

Journal of Indigenous Wellbeing: Te Mauri - Pimatisiwin

New Zealand Medical Journal

Kotuitui: NZ Journal of Social Sciences

Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology

Pacific Health Review

International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare

Journal of Primary Health Care

Religions

Selected publications and creative works (Research Outputs)

Clark, T. C., Le Grice, J., Moselen, E., Fleming, T., Crengle, S., Tiatia-Seath, J., & Lewycka, S. (2018). Health and wellbeing of Māori secondary school students in New Zealand: Trends between 2001, 2007 and 2012. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 42 (6), 553-561. 10.1111/1753-6405.12839
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Terryann Clark, Jade Le Grice, Theresa Fleming
Tiatia-Seath, J., Underhill-Sem, Y., & Woodward, A. (2018). The nexus between climate change, mental health and wellbeing and Pacific peoples. Pacific Health Dialog, 21 (2), 47-49. 10.26635/phd.2018.911
Tiatia-Seath, J. (2018). Damon Salesa, Island time: New Zealand’s Pacific futures [Book review]. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples10.1177/1177180118767434
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2292/42443
Thabrew, H., Gandeza, E., Bahr, G., Bettany, D., Bampton, C., Cooney, E., ... Tiatia-Seath, J. (2018). The management of young people who self-harm by New Zealand Infant, child and adolescent mental health services: cutting-edge or cutting corners?. Australasian Psychiatry10.1177/1039856217748248
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2292/40620
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Hiran Thabrew
Tiatia-Seath, J. (2018). The importance of Pacific cultural competency in healthcare. Pacific Health Dialog, 21 (1), 8-9. 10.26635/phd.2018.909
Tiatia-Seath, J., Lay-Yee, R., & Von Randow, M. (2017). Morbidity from intentional self-harm among Pacific peoples in New Zealand 1996–2015. New Zealand Medical Journal, 130 (1467), 23-31.
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2292/44553
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Martin von Randow, Roy Lay-Yee
Tucker-Masters, L., & Tiatia-Seath, J. (2017). Reviewing the literature on anxiety and depression in Pacific youth: A fresh perspective. New Zealand Medical Student Journal (25), 24-28. Related URL.
Tiatia-Seath, J., Lay-Yee, R., & von Randow, M. (2017). Supporting the bereavement needs of Pacific communities in Aotearoa New Zealand following a suicide. Journal of Indigenous Wellbeing: Te Mauri-Pimatisiwin, 2 (2), 129-141.
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Roy Lay-Yee, Martin von Randow