Ethnic disparities in mental health problems in New Caledonia and French Polynesia.

This article focuses on the prevalence of mental health problems among Indigenous peoples in New Caledonia and French Polynesia, comparing these rates to those of non-indigenous populations while accounting for associated demographic and socioeconomic factors. Using data from the Mental Health in the General Population (MHGP) survey and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), the study found that Indigenous participants exhibited higher rates of depressive disorder, alcohol use disorder, and suicide risk than their non-indigenous counterparts. However, after adjusting for factors such as age, education, income, and marital status, these differences largely disappeared except for alcohol use disorder, which remained significantly more prevalent among Indigenous individuals. The findings suggest that socioeconomic disparities largely explain mental health differences, highlighting the need for further research on healthcare access and utilization among Indigenous populations in these French overseas territories.