Session on Community relations, 9 December 2021, more information at www.oecd.org/wise/well-being-and-mental-health.htm

1. Racism and mental health
Well-being and mental health: community relations
OECD Virtual conference
9 December 2021
Dr Angeline Ferdinand
Centre for Health Policy
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
University of Melbourne
1

2. I would like to acknowledge and pay my respect to the traditional
owners of the unceded land on which we’re meeting today, the
Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation and acknowledge as well as the
traditional owners of the lands all of you are currently on. I extend this
respect to Elders past, present and emerging, as well as to other
Indigenous people here with us.

3. Racism
Behaviours, practices, beliefs and prejudices that underlie avoidable and unfair
inequalities across groups in society based on race, ethnicity, culture or religion.
• Interpersonal: racist interactions between people
• Systemic (institutional): formal policies, practices, processes and conditions that serve
to increase power differentials between racial, ethnic, cultural or religious groups
• Intrapersonal (internalised): incorporation of racist ideologies within the worldview of
an individual who experiences racism which may have an effect on how they regard
and/or behave toward themselves, members of their group and those from other
groups
3
Paradies, Y 2006, ‘Defining, conceptualising and characterising racism in health research’, in Critical Public Health, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 143–57.
Paradies, Y, Williams, D, Heggenhougen, K & Quah, S 2008, ‘Racism and health’, in Encyclopedia of Public Health, Academic Press, San Diego, pp. 474–83.

4. Rising levels of racism and xenophobia
4
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/20/racism-on-the-rise-since-brexit-vote-nationwide-study-reveals
https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/12/covid-19-fueling-anti-asian-racism-and-xenophobia-worldwide#
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/04/09/race-in-america-2019/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/17/australia-urged-to-adopt-plan-to-fight-resurgence-of-racism

5. Associations between racism and poorer mental
health and wellbeing
5

6. Associations between racism and poorer mental
health and wellbeing
6
• 1,139 people from culturally and
linguistically diverse (CALD) communities
• Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed
experienced racism in the previous 12
months
• Over 40% of those who experienced nine
or more incidents of racism recorded high
or very high psychological distress scores
• This suggests that every incident of racism
that is prevented can help reduce the risk
of a person developing mental health
problems such as anxiety or depression
Ferdinand A, Kelaher M & Paradies Y 2013. Mental health
impacts of racial discrimination in Victorian culturally and
linguistically diverse communities: Full report. Victorian Health
Promotion Foundation. Melbourne, Australia.

7. Associations between racism and poorer mental
health and wellbeing
7
Ferdinand A, Kelaher M & Paradies Y 2013. Mental health
impacts of racial discrimination in Victorian culturally and
linguistically diverse communities: Full report. Victorian Health
Promotion Foundation. Melbourne, Australia.
• ‘Ignoring it or pretending it didn’t happen’
was the only response strategy that was
associated with decreased odds of finding
the last incident very stressful or extremely
stressful.
• There were no other response strategies that
were significantly associated with decreasing
stress resulting from participants’ last racist
experience.

8. Indigenous people with disability: intersections
of racism and ableism
8
• Data from the 2014/2015 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS) conducted by the
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
• 6,083 persons aged between 15 and 64 who identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
• For those who indicated experiencing racism, the respondent was further prompted with questions related to the
frequency (over the previous 12 months) and context of the most recent incident as:
• Applying for work, or at work.
• At school, university, training course or other educational settings.
• While doing any sporting, recreational or leisure activities.
• By the police, security people, lawyers or in a court of law.
• By doctors, nurses or other staff at hospitals or doctor’s surgeries.
• When accessing government services.
• By members of the public.
• Etc.
• Respondents were asked whether they avoided “situations because you feel you have been treated unfairly in the past
because you are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander?” A prompt card was shown similar to that outlined above.
Temple, JB, Wong, H, Ferdinand, A, Avery, S, Paradies, Y, Kelaher, M. Exposure to interpersonal racism and avoidance behaviours reported by Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people with a disability. Aust J Soc Issues. 2020; 55: 376– 395. doi: 10.1002/ajs4.126.

9. Indigenous people with disability: intersections
of racism and ableism
9
• Approximately 42 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with a disability reported experiencing racism,
relative to 32 per cent of those without a disability.
• The experiences of racism are more frequent among those with a disability relative to their peers.
• Approximately 20 per cent of those with disability reported avoidance relative to 11 per cent of those without a disability,
with multi-context avoidance also more common.
• People with a disability were over twice as likely to co-currently report avoidance and racism, relative to those without a
disability.
Temple, JB, Wong, H, Ferdinand, A, Avery, S, Paradies, Y, Kelaher, M. Exposure to interpersonal racism and avoidance behaviours reported by Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people with a disability. Aust J Soc Issues. 2020; 55: 376– 395. doi: 10.1002/ajs4.126.

10. 10
Conclusions
Artwork by Raymond Walters Japanangka
Painted shed at Tiwi Design gallery.

11. Conclusions
• Racism is a complex phenomenon that has roots in many societal causes
• Racism is prevalent in the lives of many individuals
• Racism intersects with other forms of disadvantage, including disability
• Experiencing racism is associated with poorer mental health and reduced quality of life through a variety
of pathways
• In response to experiencing racism, many individuals avoid a variety of contexts, which may lead to
withdrawal from engagement and exacerbate isolation and negative mental health impacts
• Individual coping strategies do not appear to provide sufficient protection from harm
• Reducing the experience of racism is an important approach to improving health
• A breakdown in community relations and social connection both exacerbates and is a result of racism
• Social, organisational and community interventions are needed to reduce racism and protect the mental
health and wellbeing of affected individuals and communities
11

12. Thank you!
contact:
a.ferdinand@unimelb.edu.au

13. Settings where CALD Victorians experienced
racism
13
Ferdinand A,
Kelaher M &
Paradies Y 2013.
Mental health
impacts of racial
discrimination in
Victorian culturally
and linguistically
diverse
communities: Full
report. Victorian
Health Promotion
Foundation.
Melbourne,
Australia.