Being Māori, being proud & being well
Evidence from Youth2000 on cultural
connectedness and youth mental health outcomes
Ashlea Dee Williams (Rarotonga ki Arorangi, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Rangitihi)
Dr Sonya Lewycka (Ukranian Pākehā) Dr Terryann Clark (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine)
Depressive symptoms & Suicide
2001 2007 2012
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Depressive Symptoms (RADS-SF)
Māori Pākehā
2001 2007 2012
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Suicide attempts last 12 months
Māori Pākehā
Youth2000 Survey Series from www.youthresearch.auckland.ac.nz
Research & Methods
Aims:
• Understand the relationship between Māori cultural identity markers, ethnic discrimination and mental health outcomes for taitamariki
Methods:
• Secondary analysis of the quantitative data from the Youth’12 national youth health and wellbeing survey (anonymous, representative survey on NZ’s youth).
N= 8,500 with 1,701 Māori students
• Develop cultural identity scale using factor analyses
• Logistic regression models to explore how wellbeing (WHO-5),
depressive symptoms (Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale), and suicide attempt during the previous 12 months were associated with cultural identity scale
Māori cultural identity scale
•
Ngā taonga Māori (reo, tikanga, participation) – 8 items
e.g. - How satisfied are you with your knowledge of things Māori?
- How well are you personally able to speak Māori in day-to-day conversation? By this we mean more than a few words or phrases?
•
Ko wai au? (pride, identity, recognised as Māori) – 6 items
e.g. - Are Māori values important to you (e.g. Whanau and Hui (Family gatherings), Karakia (prayer), Wairua (Spirituality) or Whakapapa (Family history)
- Are Māori values important to you (e.g. Whanau and Hui (Family gatherings), Karakia (prayer), Wairua (Spirituality) or Whakapapa (Family history
•
Strong cultural identity was classified as endorsing 8 or more items (range 0-14 with median of 7)
Results – Māori demographic Features
Table 3: Prevalence of Outcome Variables
n/N %
Sex Male 801/1699 47.1
Female 898/1699 52.9
Age 13 and under 413/1698 24.3
14 435/1698 25.6
15 354/1698 20.8
16 278/1698 16.4
17 and over 218/1698 12.8
NZDep Low 331/1681 19.7
Medium 573/1681 34.1
High 777/1681 46.2
Results – Mental health and discrimination
• 75.1% reported good wellbeing, WHO-5 scale (n=1234/1643)
• 13.9% reported significant depressive (RADS-SF) symptoms (n=224/1611)
• 6.5% reported a suicide attempt in the previous twelve months (n=109/1659)
• 27.0% experienced discrimination (by teachers, health professionals, police) (n=434/1610)
• Ethnic discrimination was associated with
• Poorer wellbeing (WHO-5) scores (OR 0.4, p<0.0001),
• Greater depressive (RADS-SF) symptoms (OR 2.2, p<0.0001)
• Higher suicide attempt in previous 12 months (OR 2.5, p<0.0001)
Results – Final logistic regression model
• After adjusting for age, sex, ethnic discrimination and NZ Deprivation level, cultural identity was associated with
• Improved WHO-5 wellbeing scores (OR 1.5, p<0.0015)
• Less depressive symptoms (OR 0.5, p<0.0001)
• Gender interaction - Males who report stronger Māori identities were more likely than females with stronger cultural identities to report
• Improved WHO-5 wellbeing (OR 2.9, p<0.0001),
• Less depressive symptoms (OR 0.3, p<0.0001)
• Less suicide attempts (OR 0.3, p<0.0001).
• Age interaction - Students who were aged 14 and 15 years old were significantly more likely than any other age group
• Significant depressive symptoms (OR 2.2- 2.4, p<0.01- 0.005).
Discussion
• These results suggest that by reducing discrimination and
strengthening students Māori identities there will can be substantial mental health gains
• Cultural identity scale was not protective for suicide in the overall model, but was for Māori males – needs further exploration
• Important implications for the treatment and prevention of mental health concerns and reducing suicide death for Māori youth
• Addressing systematic racism and discrimination is vital to Māori wellbeing
• Further qualitative/quantitative research is required, to explore how Māori cultural identity is protective and how it can be strengthened