The relationship between perceived religious discrimination and self-esteem for Muslim Australians

Muslim Australians represent one of the fastest growing migrant groups in Australia. They are also the group who, after Indigenous Australians, experience the most discrimination. Previous research on the minority stress model confirms a link between such discrimination and mental health. However, in relation to self-esteem and discrimination, the results are mixed, potentially reflecting whether people reject or identify with prejudiced views of them and also the type of discrimination being measured. To explore this issue further in an Australian context, we asked 49 Australian Muslims to complete Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale and the Perceived Religious Discrimination Scale. In support of both the minority stress model and the rejection-identification model, we found that perceived interpersonal and systemic discrimination accounts for a small but significant variation in self-esteem. Interpersonal discrimination was negatively related to self-esteem, and systemic discrimination positively related. The effects of interpersonal discrimination on self-esteem can guide therapists to interventions that help clients resist internalising discrimination experiences. The effects of institutional discrimination support therapists becoming part of the resistance to and challenging of discrimination and inequality.