Effects of Ethnic Classification on Substantive Findings in Adolescent Mental Health Outcomes

Although most adolescents are healthy, epidemiological studies show that a significant number experience mental health challenges, and that Indigenous and ethnic minority youth tend to have poorer mental health outcomes. However, ethnic classification in adolescence is complex due to increasing multi-ethnic identification, and little is known about how different classification methods affect research conclusions. This study used a nationally representative adolescent sample from Aotearoa New Zealand (N = 8275; ages 12–18; 55% female; 32% multi-ethnic) to investigate the effects that five ethnic classification methods have on substantive findings in three mental health outcomes: overall psychosocial difficulties, deliberate self-harm, and suicide attempts. The results showed that, depending on the classification method used, reported outcomes within the same nominal ethnic group varied by an effect size (d) of up to 0.12, and the reported magnitude of difference between nominal ethnic groups varied by an effect size (d) of up to 0.25. These effects are substantial given that they are solely due to a change in method. The impact that ethnic classification method has on substantive findings highlights the importance of criticality and transparency in research involving ethnicity data

Mental Health, and Rural Practice: A Perspective from New Zealand.

This chapter provides an analysis of rural social work in mental health with a particular focus on anti-oppressive practice. The chapter is written within the Aotearoa New Zealand (ANZ) context and as such addresses cultural dimensions essential to practice with tangata whenua (indigenous peoples of New Zealand). The chapter begins by summarising some key facts about rural ANZ followed by identification of organisational initiatives that have been developed outside of the statutory mental health sector to address health and wellbeing. Discussion about Te Whare Tapa Wha (Durie, 1994) follows, a paradigm for understanding the holistic dimensions of Māori. Next, antecedents for modern day social work are explained noting the dual functions of social justice imperatives alongside, case management. Mental health social work using Larson’s (2008) seven principles of anti-oppressive practice discussed next to demonstrate the implications for rural social work practice in Aotearoa New Zealand. The relevance and application of ecological systems theory to rural social work is alluded to throughout. The chapter concludes with a case study to consider and a list of key points about how to foster effective rural mental health social work in an ongoing way

Pride of the people: Fijian rugby labour migration and collective identity

Rugby is a sport that has given Fiji international recognition. The professionalisation of rugby has led to a growing number of elite players emigrating from Fiji 13 often temporarily but sometimes permanently 13 to metropolitan countries, with an estimated 450 athletes currently involved in foreign competitions. Whilst Fijians have a long history of migration to metropolitan societies, the recent global dispersion of rugby players has added new dimensions and complexities. This article intends to shed light upon this migratory phenomenon by exploring what it means for these Fijians to ply their trade in foreign leagues. Based on semi-structured interviews, the article examines the experiences of Fijian players who are currently or have previously been contracted by metropolitan rugby clubs and what these experiences mean to them regarding their sense of collective identity and pride, especially in the context of politico-economic disparities between Fiji and the host countries. In doing so, particular attention is paid to the voices and agency of those athletes who claim rugby migration as a space for counter-hegemonic collective selfexpression. The article thus seeks to contribute to our understanding of the dynamics of the relationship between sports labour migration and collective local identification and resistance in an increasingly globalised world