Dannette Marie

Social Distance and Perceived Dangerousness Across Four Diagnostic Categories of Mental Disorder

Objectives: To examine whether laypersons make categorical distinctions between psychoses, neuroses, and addictive behaviours relative to desired social distance and whether degree of familiarity and perceived dangerousness influences social distance judgements. Method: Two studies were undertaken using the mental health literacy framework. The first study involved surveying lay beliefs and perceptions of a mentally ill person who exhibited behavioural cues of one of the following: schizophrenia, depression, alcohol abuse, or substance dependence. The second study involved a partial replication and refinement of the first study to determine whether discriminate judgements across diagnostic categories were influenced by perceived dangerousness. Results: Findings from study 1 indicated that laypersons do differentiate between psychological disorders and respond to them differently relative to social distance. Results from study 2 confirmed those of study 1 and in addition suggested that perceived dangerousness influences social distance, largely with respect to schizophrenia. Conclusions: Laypersons make categorical distinctions between different types of disorders. Perceived dangerousness is more strongly associated with schizophrenia, than is warranted when considered against acts of violence and aggression committed by individuals with alcohol abuse and substance dependence problems.

Educational Achievement in Maori: The Roles of Cultural Identity and Social Disadvantage

The present study investigates the roles of Maori cultural identity and socio-economic status in educational outcomes in a New Zealand birth cohort studied from birth to the age of 25. There were statistically significant (all p values < .01) associations between cultural identity and educational outcomes, with those of Maori ethnic identification having generally lower levels of educational achievement outcomes when compared to non-Maori. In addition, those of Maori ethnic identification were exposed to significantly (p < .05) greater levels of socio-economic disadvantage in childhood. Control for socio-economic factors largely reduced the associations between cultural identity and educational outcomes to statistical non-significance. The findings suggest that educational underachievement amongst Maori can be largely explained by disparities in socio-economic status during childhood.

Ethnic identification, social disadvantage, and mental health in adolescence/young adulthood: results of a 25 year longitudinal study

Objective: To examine the role of cultural identity and social disadvantage/childhood adversity in a birth cohort of 984 young people studied to the age of 25. Methods: Data were gathered on mental health, cultural identification, socioeconomic factors and childhood adversity as part of a longitudinal study of a New Zealand birth cohort (the Christchurch Health and Development Study). Results: Those with sole Māori identity had rates of disorder that were 1.28-fold higher than those of non-Māori; those of Māori/other identity had rates of disorder that were 1.57-fold higher than non-Māori. Regression analyses suggested that the elevated rates of mental disorder among Māori were largely explained by their higher exposure to socioeconomic disadvantage and childhood adversity. But even after adjustment, being of sole Māori identity was a protective factor that reduced rates of mental disorder among Māori. Conclusions: Risk and protective factors associated with the mental health of young Māori involve an interplay between levels of exposure to social disadvantage/childhood adversity and cultural identity, with secure cultural identity being a factor that may mitigate the effects of exposure to adversity.

Links Between Ethnic Identification, Cannabis Use and Dependence, and Life Outcomes in a New Zealand Birth Cohort

Objective: To examine the role of ethnic identity in cannabis use, and links between ethnic identity, cannabis use and life outcomes, in a birth cohort of >1000 young people studied to age 25. Methods: Data were gathered on cultural identification, cannabis use, socioeconomic factors, childhood adversity, and a range of life outcomes as part of a longitudinal study of a New Zealand birth cohort (Christchurch Health and Development Study). Results: Those reporting Māori identity had rates of cannabis use and dependence that were significantly higher (p<0.05) than rates for non-Māori. Regression analysis suggested that the elevated rates of cannabis use among Māori were largely explained by their higher exposure to socioeconomic disadvantage and childhood adversity. Further analyses examined the role of cannabis use in the links between ethnicity and a range of life outcomes, including education, income and employment, mental health, criminal offending, and intimate partner violence. These analyses showed that cannabis use made a small but detectable contribution to rates of Māori disadvantage in life outcomes, with this contribution being most evident in the areas of crime, education, and unemployment. Conclusions: Māori ethnic identification was associated with increased risks of cannabis use and dependence. The higher rate of cannabis use by Māori could be largely attributed to a combination of socioeconomic factors and greater exposure to environmental factors known to influence risk of cannabis use. The higher rates of cannabis use by Māori made a small contribution to higher rates of early school leaving, crime, and unemployment among Māori.

Categorical Ethnicity and Mental Health Literacy in New Zealand

Objective. Public social policies in New Zealand assume that there are fundamental differences between Maori views of health phenomena and non‐Maori perceptions. The biomedical model and a Maori model known as Te Whare Tapa Wha are commonly employed to characterise these differences. Using the categorical ethnicity demarcation ‘Maori/non‐Maori’ we investigate this claim with respect to mental health literacy about depression. Design. Participants were randomly selected from the General and Maori Electoral Rolls and recruited by post (N=205). A vignette methodology was employed and involved the development of a fictional character as a target stimulus who exhibited the minimum DSM‐IV‐R criteria for a major depressive disorder. Participants responded to items regarding problem recognition, well‐being, causal attributions, treatment preferences, and likely prognosis. Results. The majority of Maori and non‐Maori participants correctly identified the problem the vignette character was experiencing and nominated congruent attributions for the causes of the problem. In relation to treatment strategies and likely prognosis, independent of self‐assigned ethnicity, participants rated professional treatments above alternative options. Overall the categorical ethnicity distinction ‘Maori and non‐Maori’ produced no systematic variation with regards to individual evaluative responses about a major depressive disorder. Conclusions. Contrary to the embedded assumption within New Zealands public health strategies that there are essential differences between the way Maori and non‐Maori view health problems, and that the categorical ethnicity demarcation reliably reflects these differences, we found no evidence for the veracity of this claim using a major depressive disorder as a target for judgements. Alternative explanations are canvassed as to why this assumption about fundamental differences based on categorical ethnicity has gained ascendancy and prominence within the sphere of New Zealand health.

Maori and Criminal Offending: A Critical Appraisal

Abstract Since the advent of the Maori renaissance in New Zealand and the shift toward the sociopolitical ideology of biculturalism, the disproportionate representation of Maori in prisons has increased. Criminal justice sector policy asserts that this overrepresentation is best understood as the outcome of Maori experiencing impairments to cultural identity resulting from colonisation. Central to this claim is the notion that ethnicity is a reliable construct by which distinctions can be made between offenders regarding what factors precipitate their offending, as well as best practices for their rehabilitation. Despite the absence of empirical support, this claim has been transformed from a conjectural claim to a veridical fact resulting in what is termed here ‘the wishing well approach’. An alternative perspective is recommended to improve current efforts to address the issue of Maori being overrepresented in New Zealands criminal justice sector.

Ethnic Identity and Criminal Offending in a New Zealand Birth Cohort

Abstract There has been a great deal of debate and speculation regarding the high levels of involvement of Māori New Zealanders in the criminal justice system. The present investigation examined the role of Māoricultural identity in predicting criminal offending in a New Zealand birth cohort studied from birth to the age of 21. There were statistically significant (p < .0001) bivariate associations between both sole Māori identification and Māori/other cultural identification, and both (a) official convictions for property/violent offending during ages 17–21 and (b) selfreported violent and property offending during ages 17–21. Control for a range of potentially confounding factors related to family socioeconomic status, family functioning and personal adjustment reduced the associations between sole Māori identity and criminal offending to statistical nonsignificance (both p values > .40). However, the association between Māori/other cultural identity and criminal offending remained statistically significant (both p values < .05) after control for confounding. The findings suggest that while sole Māori cultural identification is not associated with increased rates of criminal offending, persons of Māori/other cultural identification are at increased risk of violent and property offending.

Coordination and Collective Performance: Cooperative Goals Boost Interpersonal Synchrony and Task Outcomes

Whether it be a rugby team or a rescue crew, ensuring peak group performance is a primary goal during collective activities. In reality, however, groups often suffer from productivity losses that can lead to less than optimal outputs. Where researchers have focused on this problem, inefficiencies in the way team members coordinate their efforts has been identified as one potent source of productivity decrements. Here, we set out to explore whether performance on a simple object movement task is shaped by the spontaneous emergence of interpersonally coordinated behavior. Forty-six pairs of participants were instructed to either compete or cooperate in order to empty a container of approximately 100 small plastic balls as quickly and accurately as possible. Each trial was recorded to video and a frame-differencing approach was employed to estimate between-person coordination. The results revealed that cooperative pairs coordinated to a greater extent than their competitive counterparts. Furthermore, coordination, as well as movement regularity were positively related to accuracy, an effect that was most prominent when the task was structured such that opportunities to coordinate were restricted. These findings are discussed with regard to contemporary theories of coordination and collective performance.

Childhood socio-economic status and ethnic disparities in psychosocial outcomes in New Zealand

Objective: The present study examined the extent to which childhood socio-economic status (SES) could account for differences in adult psychosocial outcomes between Māori and non-Māori individuals in a birth cohort of more than 1000 individuals studied to age 30. Methods: Data were gathered on three measures of childhood SES (family SES, family living standards, family income) and adult psychosocial outcomes including mental health, substance use, criminal offending, and education/welfare dependence outcomes, as part of a longitudinal study of a New Zealand birth cohort (the Christchurch Health and Development Study). Results: Those reporting Māori ethnicity had significantly (p < 0.0001) poorer scores on the three measures of childhood SES, with estimates of Cohen’s d indicating a moderate effect size. Māori cohort members also had significantly (p < 0.05) greater rates of adverse psychosocial outcomes in adulthood. Controlling for childhood SES reduced the magnitude of the ethnic differences in psychosocial outcomes, but did not fully explain the differences between Māori and non-Māori. Adjustment for childhood SES had the strongest effect on education/welfare dependence, but weaker effects on mental health, substance use, and criminal offending. Conclusions: Improvements in SES among Māori in New Zealand may, to some extent, ameliorate the long standing disparities in psychosocial well-being between Māori and non-Māori. However, efforts to improve Māori well-being will require an approach that moves beyond a sole focus on rectifying socio-economic disadvantage.

The Links Between Ethnicity, Cultural Identity and Alcohol Use, Abuse and Dependence in a New Zealand Birth Cohort

AIMS To examine the role of ethnicity and cultural identity in alcohol use and misuse in a birth cohort of over 1000 young people. METHODS Data on ethnicity, cultural identification, alcohol use, alcohol abuse/dependence (AAD), socio-economic factors and childhood adversity were gathered as part of a longitudinal study of a New Zealand birth cohort (the Christchurch Health and Development Study). RESULTS Those reporting Māori ethnicity had rates of alcohol use and AAD that were 1.47-1.63 times higher than the rates found in the non-Māori people. However, there was little evidence to suggest that rates of alcohol use and AAD differed according to Māori cultural identity. Generalized estimating equation regression analyses adjusting for socio-economic disadvantage and childhood adversity slightly reduced the magnitude of these associations, but they remained statistically significant [AAD: odds ratio = 1.52; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11-2.10; consumption: incidence rate ratio = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.13-1.52]. CONCLUSION (a) Māori ethnicity was found to be associated with modestly increased risks of alcohol use and AAD (b) the higher rates of alcohol use and AAD among the Māori members of the cohort could not be explained by a combination of socio-economic factors and greater exposure to environmental factors known to influence the risk of alcohol use and misuse.