title: Racism, social resources and mental health for Aboriginal people living in Adelaide.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This paper examines whether reported experience of racism by Aboriginal people living in Adelaide is negatively associated with mental health, and whether social resources ameliorate the mental health effects of racism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Face-to-face structured and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 153 Aboriginal people. Data on self-reported experiences of racism (average regularity of racism across a number of settings, regular racism in at least one setting), social resources (socialising, group membership, social support, talking/expressing self about racism), health behaviours (smoking, alcohol), socio-demographic (age, gender, education, financial situation) and mental health (SF-12 measure) are reported. Separate staged linear regression models assessed the association between the two measures of racism and mental health, after accounting for socio-demographic characteristics and health behaviours. Social resource variables were added to these models to see if they attenuated any relationship between racism and mental health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two measures of racism were negatively associated with mental health after controlling for socioeconomic factors and health behaviours. These relationships remained after adding social resource measures. Non-smokers had better mental health, and mental health increased with positive assessments of financial situation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reducing racism should be a central strategy in improving mental health for Aboriginal people.
authors.affiliation: Southgate Institute for Health Society and Equity, South Australia, Australia. anna.ziersch@flinders.edu.au
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ziersch
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gallaher
authors.forename: Fran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baum
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bentley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011287:Prejudice; D012649:Self Concept; D057566:Self Report; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult