Innovating through tradition: kava-talanoa as a culturally aligned medico-behavioral therapeutic approach to amelioration of PTSD symptoms
Levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma-related distress, and subsyndromal PTSD, (here “PTS”) among combat soldiers and first responders are of international concern. In the broader population, a PTS global epidemic is attending trauma associated with the threatscape of the Anthropoc...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
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| author | S. Apo Aporosa Dennis Itoga Julia Ioane Jan Prosser Sione Vaka Emily Grout Martin J. Atkins Mitchell A. Head Jonathan D. Baker Tanecia Blue David H. Sanday Mahonri W. Owen Chris Murray Karthik Sivanathan Tua’ipulotu W. Cuthers Anau Mesui-Henry Mary-Jane McCarthy James Bunn Ifereimi Waqainabete Helen Turner Helen Turner Helen Turner |
| author_facet | S. Apo Aporosa Dennis Itoga Julia Ioane Jan Prosser Sione Vaka Emily Grout Martin J. Atkins Mitchell A. Head Jonathan D. Baker Tanecia Blue David H. Sanday Mahonri W. Owen Chris Murray Karthik Sivanathan Tua’ipulotu W. Cuthers Anau Mesui-Henry Mary-Jane McCarthy James Bunn Ifereimi Waqainabete Helen Turner Helen Turner Helen Turner |
| author_sort | S. Apo Aporosa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma-related distress, and subsyndromal PTSD, (here “PTS”) among combat soldiers and first responders are of international concern. In the broader population, a PTS global epidemic is attending trauma associated with the threatscape of the Anthropocene (increased extreme weather events, natural disasters, conflict, rising poverty, emerging infectious disease) as well as the legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic. PTS is also a health economic burden, with costs associated with treatment, long-term morbidity, and increased risk of mortality. In the Pacific region, rising PTS is associated with the existential threat of climate change and the economic and social legacy of colonization. There is an unmet therapeutic need for improved and culturally aligned PTS therapies in the Pacific and beyond. Medical standards of care for anxiety/PTS typically involve psychotropic interventions such as benzodiazepines (BDZ), tricyclic anti-depressants and anti-psychotic medications which have addictive potential, are only effective in the short term, are contraindicated for key populations such as the elderly and have significantly problematic track records in indigenous populations. Moreover, systemic racism both drives PTS in indigenous and other marginalized populations and limits the efficacy in such populations of conventional PTS therapies which are not culturally relevant or informed. Here, we describe the development of a novel, but traditionally grounded, approach to PTSD symptomatology in the context of Pacific populations. This approach has two elements: kava is a culturally significant Pacific drink used traditionally and in cultural practice, as a relaxant, to promote dialog in group settings, to aid in sleep and to manage anxiety. Its anxiolytic and sedative properties may link to the presence of kavalactones which are putative low potency γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) ligands. Talanoa is a dialog practice common to most Pacific cultures. Our core hypothesis is that, combined, kava-talanoa will outperform current standards of care in PTSD symptom management as a culturally augmented cognitive-behavioral group therapy intervention. In this paper we review supporting literature, describe kava-talanoa pilot study findings and planned clinical trials, discuss important open questions, and present recommendations for broad-based transcultural applicability of this approach to global PTS burdens. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5e1423e9e98b452c9d7cac779fbf356a |
| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-5e1423e9e98b452c9d7cac779fbf356a2025-08-20T03:48:02ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-05-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.14607311460731Innovating through tradition: kava-talanoa as a culturally aligned medico-behavioral therapeutic approach to amelioration of PTSD symptomsS. Apo Aporosa0Dennis Itoga1Julia Ioane2Jan Prosser3Sione Vaka4Emily Grout5Martin J. Atkins6Mitchell A. Head7Jonathan D. Baker8Tanecia Blue9David H. Sanday10Mahonri W. Owen11Chris Murray12Karthik Sivanathan13Tua’ipulotu W. Cuthers14Anau Mesui-Henry15Mary-Jane McCarthy16James Bunn17Ifereimi Waqainabete18Helen Turner19Helen Turner20Helen Turner21Division of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, Aotearoa New ZealandHawaii School of Professional Psychology, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Honolulu, HI, United StatesSchool of Psychology, Massey University, Auckland, Aotearoa New ZealandPsychology Worx, Hamilton, Aotearoa New ZealandDivision of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, Aotearoa New ZealandDivision of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, Aotearoa New ZealandTe Kura Mata-Ao School of Engineering, University of Waikato, Hamilton, Aotearoa New ZealandTe Kotahi Research Institute, University of Waikato, Hamilton, Aotearoa New ZealandSchool of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Honolulu, HI, United StatesVeterans Affairs Pacific Islands Healthcare System, Honolulu, HI, United StatesRoyal New Zealand Police, Wellington, Aotearoa New ZealandTe Kura Mata-Ao School of Engineering, University of Waikato, Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand0Te Whatu Ora, Auckland, Aotearoa New ZealandDivision of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, Aotearoa New ZealandRoyal New Zealand Police, Wellington, Aotearoa New ZealandDivision of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand1Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited (ESR), Porirua, Aotearoa New Zealand2Drug Science UK, London, United Kingdom3School of Medicine, University of Fiji, Suva, FijiSchool of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Honolulu, HI, United States4UN CIFAL Center, Chaminade University, Honolulu, HI, United States5Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity, University of Hawai’i, Honolulu, HI, United StatesLevels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), trauma-related distress, and subsyndromal PTSD, (here “PTS”) among combat soldiers and first responders are of international concern. In the broader population, a PTS global epidemic is attending trauma associated with the threatscape of the Anthropocene (increased extreme weather events, natural disasters, conflict, rising poverty, emerging infectious disease) as well as the legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic. PTS is also a health economic burden, with costs associated with treatment, long-term morbidity, and increased risk of mortality. In the Pacific region, rising PTS is associated with the existential threat of climate change and the economic and social legacy of colonization. There is an unmet therapeutic need for improved and culturally aligned PTS therapies in the Pacific and beyond. Medical standards of care for anxiety/PTS typically involve psychotropic interventions such as benzodiazepines (BDZ), tricyclic anti-depressants and anti-psychotic medications which have addictive potential, are only effective in the short term, are contraindicated for key populations such as the elderly and have significantly problematic track records in indigenous populations. Moreover, systemic racism both drives PTS in indigenous and other marginalized populations and limits the efficacy in such populations of conventional PTS therapies which are not culturally relevant or informed. Here, we describe the development of a novel, but traditionally grounded, approach to PTSD symptomatology in the context of Pacific populations. This approach has two elements: kava is a culturally significant Pacific drink used traditionally and in cultural practice, as a relaxant, to promote dialog in group settings, to aid in sleep and to manage anxiety. Its anxiolytic and sedative properties may link to the presence of kavalactones which are putative low potency γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) ligands. Talanoa is a dialog practice common to most Pacific cultures. Our core hypothesis is that, combined, kava-talanoa will outperform current standards of care in PTSD symptom management as a culturally augmented cognitive-behavioral group therapy intervention. In this paper we review supporting literature, describe kava-talanoa pilot study findings and planned clinical trials, discuss important open questions, and present recommendations for broad-based transcultural applicability of this approach to global PTS burdens.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1460731/fullkavanaturalistic usePTSDtraumacultural-based therapypsychology |
| spellingShingle | S. Apo Aporosa Dennis Itoga Julia Ioane Jan Prosser Sione Vaka Emily Grout Martin J. Atkins Mitchell A. Head Jonathan D. Baker Tanecia Blue David H. Sanday Mahonri W. Owen Chris Murray Karthik Sivanathan Tua’ipulotu W. Cuthers Anau Mesui-Henry Mary-Jane McCarthy James Bunn Ifereimi Waqainabete Helen Turner Helen Turner Helen Turner Innovating through tradition: kava-talanoa as a culturally aligned medico-behavioral therapeutic approach to amelioration of PTSD symptoms Frontiers in Psychology kava naturalistic use PTSD trauma cultural-based therapy psychology |
| title | Innovating through tradition: kava-talanoa as a culturally aligned medico-behavioral therapeutic approach to amelioration of PTSD symptoms |
| title_full | Innovating through tradition: kava-talanoa as a culturally aligned medico-behavioral therapeutic approach to amelioration of PTSD symptoms |
| title_fullStr | Innovating through tradition: kava-talanoa as a culturally aligned medico-behavioral therapeutic approach to amelioration of PTSD symptoms |
| title_full_unstemmed | Innovating through tradition: kava-talanoa as a culturally aligned medico-behavioral therapeutic approach to amelioration of PTSD symptoms |
| title_short | Innovating through tradition: kava-talanoa as a culturally aligned medico-behavioral therapeutic approach to amelioration of PTSD symptoms |
| title_sort | innovating through tradition kava talanoa as a culturally aligned medico behavioral therapeutic approach to amelioration of ptsd symptoms |
| topic | kava naturalistic use PTSD trauma cultural-based therapy psychology |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1460731/full |
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