This paper informs readers about the status of mental health services and telephone counselling services in the Pacific region and offers suggestions for further research on this topic. The paper identifies a problem (a deficit in mental health service capacity in the Pacific) and a particular modality (telephone counselling) that might address some of the challenges.

The paper highlights the need for more mental health services in Pacific Island countries (PICs) and identifies cultural and linguistic hurdles faced by telephone counselling services. Further research on this topic would be valuable, as there is a lack of research on mental health counselling services in PICs, including telephone services.