Culture as cure? The protective function of Māori cultural efficacy on psychological distress
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Date
7/09/2015
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New Zealand Psychological Society
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Abstract
Māori, the indigenous peoples of New Zealand, continue to experience health
disparities in comparison to other ethnic groups. Previous research suggests
Māori who affiliate jointly as Māori and Pākehā (New Zealand European)
tend to experience different psychological outcomes than those who solely
identify as Māori. Using a culturally-specific approach we propose and test
an Efficacy-Distress Buffering Model, which posits that high levels of Māori
Cultural Efficacy should have a buffering function, protecting Māori against
Psychological Distress (N = 632). Our findings indicate that Māori with a
higher level of Cultural Efficacy showed greater psychological resilience.
In contrast, increased rates of psychological distress were documented
amongst those who were lower in Cultural Efficacy and this effect was most
pronounced among individuals who identified solely as Māori. Our results
support a ‘culture-as-cure’ perspective and indicate that increased Māori
Cultural Efficacy has a direct protective effect for those who may be at risk
of negative psychological outcomes and associated risk factors.
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New Zealand journal of psychology, 2015, 44 (2), pp. 14 - 24