title: Relationship of social factors including trust, control over life decisions, problems with transport and safety, to psychological distress in the community.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Psychological distress encompasses anxiety and depression with the previous studies showing that psychological distress is unequally distributed across population groups. This paper explores the mechanisms and processes which may affect the distribution of psychological distress, including a range of individual and community level socioeconomic determinants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Representative cross-sectional data was collected for respondents aged 16+ from July 2008 to June 2009, as a part of the South Australian Monitoring and Surveillance System (SAMSS) using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI). Univariate and multivariate analyses (n = 5,763) were conducted to investigate the variables that were associated with psychological distress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of psychological distress was 8.9%. In the multivariate model, females, those aged 16-49, respondents single with children, unable to work or unemployed, with a poorer family financial situation, earning $20,000 or less, feeling safe in their home some or none of the time, feeling as though they have less then total control over life decisions and sometimes experiencing problems with transport, were significantly more likely to experience psychological distress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper has demonstrated the relationship between low-income, financial pressure, less than optimal safety and control, and high-psychological distress. It is important that the groups highlighted as vulnerable be targeted in policy, planning, and health promotion and prevention campaigns.
authors.affiliation: Population Research and Outcome Studies, The University of Adelaide, Level 3, 122 Frome Street, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia. anne.taylor@adelaide.edu.au
authors.forename: Anne W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chittleborough
authors.forename: Tiffany K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Winefield
authors.forename: Fran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baum
authors.forename: Janet E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hiller
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goldney
authors.forename: Graeme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Graeme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hugo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012449:Safety; D012923:Social Class; D013021:South Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D035502:Trust; D055815:Young Adult