Depression has become a growing mental health crisis around the world. In New Zealand, the Pacific population are overrepresented in mental health statistics in comparison to other ethnic groups. Pacific children and Pacific youth are recognised as a group that are of higher risk for depression. The effects of depression have also shown to have an impact on academic performance. Despite this, little is known about potential factors associated with Pacific children’s academic performance and furthermore, the relationship of depression and academic performance in this ethnic minority group.

The main aim of this research was to examine the risk and protective factors of depression associated with teacher assessed academic performance in Pacific children aged 6, 9 and 11 years. Age-specific associations between the various factors and teacher assessed academic performance at 11 years was investigated to gain insight into potential mechanisms that lead to adverse academic performance. The examination of the population average trajectory of behavioural development and teacher assessment scores of Pacific children in New Zealand was also conducted.

Data was extracted from the Pacific Islands Families (PIF) Study, a longitudinal birth cohort study that examines Pacific children and their families. This quantitative study focuses on Pacific children at ages 6, 9 and 11 years and the impact of various risk and protective factors on teacher assessed academic performance. This study includes 703 child participants with maternal reports for data collection measured at 6-weeks, 2 years, 6 years, 9 years and 11 years.

In the PIF cohort, externalising behaviour, gang involvement and being a perpetrator of bullying were risk factors associated with lower teacher assessed academic performance at 11 years for Pacific children. Depression was found as a risk factor for lower teacher assessed academic performance at both 9 and 11 years. The protective factor of positive self-description at 9 and 11 years was associated with higher teacher assessed academic performance. Externalising behaviour over subsequent years of 6, 9 and 11 years indicated a decline in academic performance teacher assessment scores, whereas positive self-description in Pacific children indicated an increase in academic performance over the years. Post-secondary school qualifications of mothers, also increases teacher assessed academic performance in Pacific children.

The findings of this study show that academic performance in Pacific children can be negatively influenced by externalising behaviour, gang involvement and bullying perpetration at ages 6, 9 and 11 years. Positive self-description is an important factor protecting against low academic performance in Pacific children. Externalising behaviour continued over the years leads to lower academic performance over time. Such findings highlight the need for targeting these particular risk and protective factors for future interventions and more importantly, how the onset of these factors can lead to detrimental mental health outcomes impacting on academic performance in later years.