Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The first ever American Samoa mental health summit is aiming to reduce stigma, build capacity and improve health outcomes. especially for military veterans and their families.

Acting governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga, who is also an army veteran, told the summit that after tours of duty in the Persian Gulf he was not a willing participant in post traumatic stress disorder classes.

But he said he knows now that it's not just the former soldiers who need counselling but also family members and supporters, who have to put up with and help the suffering veterans when they return from a war zone.

Lemanu wants to see more services offered to help the families of veterans.