New counselling data from Medical Services Pacific shows young people are driving the highest demand for mental health services in Fiji, senior counsellor Isireli Kidareva says, highlighting an urgent shift in who is seeking help.
Kidareva told media that adolescents and young adults are now the age groups most affected by anxiety, depression and other forms of emotional distress, according to recent counselling records held by the organisation. He said the problems young people present with are frequently linked to multiple, overlapping pressures — schooling and academic expectations, uncertainty about employment prospects, financial strain at home, family responsibilities and the impact of social media on self-image and relationships.
“While mental health challenges cut across all ages, it is young people who are currently seeking help the most,” Kidareva said, describing a notable rise in demand from teens and those in their twenties. He warned that without early intervention, issues that begin as anxiety or low mood can intensify and impair education, work and family life.
The development follows growing public conversations around youth mental health in Fiji. In September 2025, University of the South Pacific student and FMF Hibiscus Festival contestant Maria Ali used her platform to speak about personal battles with depression and anxiety, reflecting a wider trend of young Fijians becoming more open about mental health struggles and advocacy. Kidareva’s observations suggest that increased awareness may be translating into higher rates of help-seeking at counselling services, presenting new pressures for the health and social support system.
Kidareva stressed the need to establish and strengthen early support systems tailored to young people, so pressures can be managed before they escalate. He pointed to the importance of accessible, youth-friendly counselling and prevention services but did not outline a specific policy package. Mental health advocates and practitioners in the region commonly argue such systems include school-based counselling, community outreach, training for frontline health workers and digital or telehealth options to reach young people where they are — recommendations that align with Kidareva’s call for timely support.
The rise in demand for youth mental health services adds urgency to broader efforts to expand Fiji’s mental health capacity. Health providers will need to balance immediate counselling caseloads with longer-term investment in prevention, workforce training and integration of mental health into education and primary care settings if the current trend continues. Kidareva’s report marks the latest indication that young Fijians are both facing significant psychosocial pressures and increasingly willing to seek help — a change that could improve outcomes if services are scaled and made more accessible.
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