Final answer:
The awareness of racism correlates with positive mental health because it allows individuals to navigate and challenge racist systems, whereas mistrust, often resulting from past and ongoing discrimination, correlates with negative mental health and can lead to adverse effects like reluctance to access healthcare.
Step-by-step explanation:
Being aware of potential racism and mistrusting others are not the same thing. Awareness of racism is associated with positive mental health, while mistrust is associated with negative mental health. So, the correct answer to the question is 'a. Positive mental health; negative mental health'. Awareness can be protective; it can empower people to navigate and challenge racist systems with resilience. Conversely, mistrust, often stemming from historical and ongoing discrimination as seen in examples such as the Tuskegee Experiment and biased interactions in healthcare, can lead to detrimental outcomes such as hesitation to seek necessary services and poorer overall health.