Social determinants of mental health (original) (raw)
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Editors’ Comments on the Special Issue “Social Determinants of Mental Health”
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Mental disorders are one of the greatest public health concerns of our time, and they are affected by social factors. To reduce the considerable burden of mental disorders, more global and systematic knowledge of the social determinants of mental health is necessary. This paper presents the results of the 27 studies included in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Special Issue, “Social Determinants of Mental Health”. The studies are grouped into four broad categories: social inclusion and mental health, young people’s mental health, mental health at work, and mental health service users. The results cover different countries, age populations, settings, and methodologies. Finally, the main findings on the relationship between social determinants and mental health are presented and summarized.
The Social Determinants of Mental Health
Professional Case Management, 2021
T he health care industry remains fixated on the social determinants of health (SDoH), the nonclinical psychosocial and socioeconomic circumstances that contribute to health outcomes. The five long-standing SDoH domains were updated for Healthy People 2030 (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2020a) at the end of 2020 and continue to top the priority list for every organization: 1. Economic stability 2. Education access and quality 3. Health care access and quality 4. Neighborhood and built environment 5.
Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2022
Background: Many health research policies invoke the construct of Social Determinants of Health, and more recently the construct of Social Determinants of Mental Health. While frequently referred to in the literature, it is unclear how these constructs relate to each other. Some commentators conceptualise the Determinants of Mental Health as a subgroup of the Determinants of general Health and others describe the Determinants of Mental Health as an autonomous construct. The current review investigates the relationship between both constructs. Methods: Comprehensive literature searches were conducted for both constructs separately within seven electronic databases. A template analysis was conducted to compare the conceptualisations of the Social Determinants of Health and the Social Determinants of Mental Health. Results: Of 4250 search results, 50 papers (25 for each construct) fulfilled our inclusion criteria and were incorporated into a narrative synthesis. Discussions of the Social Determinants of both general and Mental Health listed the same determinants. Both constructs were conceptualised on multiple levels and factors. Stress and health behaviour were also described as mediators for both constructs. The constructs differed, however, with respect to two components of their aetiologies and epistemologies. First, the causal mechanisms invoked for the Determinants of general Health followed predominantly direct pathways, in contrast to indirect pathways for the Social Determinants of Mental Health. Second, the Social Determinants of Mental Health were reported to influence mental health mediated through individuals' perceptions and appraisal processes. Appraisal processes were considered of far less relevance in the construct of Social Determinants of Health. Conclusion: The constructs of Social Determinants of Health and Social Determinants of Mental Health align in many respects but differ on important aetiological and
Psychosocial determinants of mental health and well being
The Department of Health’s New Horizons policy on Mental Health (2009) (NHMH) was conceived as a ten-year plan for mental health services designed to succeed the existing National Service Framework for Mental Health (1999). Although discontinued before its implementation nevertheless, there were features of the policy which formed the bases for many current mental health initiatives, such as Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPTs). The principles and values that underpinned the policy can be discerned within contemporary practice and policy; in particular, the wider acceptance of psychosocial aspects of mental health well-being as appose to a single unitary medical model of mental health (Sainsbury’s 2010). For this reason, the paper argues that an analysis of the New Horizons policy on Mental Health is pertinent to the understanding of contemporary mental health services. In undertaking the analysis and developing the discussion, the dissertation draws upon health care policy and related literature. In particular, in its consideration of studies relating to the impact of psychosocial factors on mental illness and public well-being. The paper sets out various approaches to health policy analysis, for example, the rationalistic and behavioural models, before focusing on that of Walt and Gilson (1994) which undergirds the analysis. In order to contextualise the New Horizons policy the dissertation considers the development of mental health community care and the wider health and social care policy environment within which it was formulated. It focuses on the psychosocial dimension of the New Horizons policy and in doing so seeks to analyse its ‘content, process and actors’, (Walt and Gilson, 1994). It concludes with a brief consideration of the influence on New Horizons policy upon current mental health policy.
The rhetoric/reality gap in social determinants of mental health
""Purpose: It has been established that social determinants are vital contributing factors to mental health difficulties and that, similar to physical health, mental health follows a social gradient. Despite this acknowledgment, there is a rhetoric/reality gap found in social determinants of mental health (SDMH). It will be argued in this paper that this rhetoric/reality gap is located on a number of levels, including theoretical, methodological, practical, political and policy-based, which are proposed here to be interrelated. Design/methodology/approach: The approach is a conceptual analysis of the rhetoric/reality gap found in SDMH using a critical perspective. It draws on a wide variety of theories in order to provide an analysis of the issues outlined. Findings: The paper’s central finding is that there is a dissonance between the dominant ontological, epistemological and methodological, or axiomatic, focus in contemporary mental health theory and practice and SDMH. This dissonance has led to a form of ‘analysis paralysis’ on all levels, and the initiatives required to tackle SDMH have been marginalised in favour of a narrow interpretation of evidence-based research and its accompanying ideology centring on the individual, which has established itself as a primary position on what constitutes valid knowledge to the detriment of other views. Originality/value: The paper offers a critical perspective on an area of SDMH which is often alluded to but never explicitly explored, and questions the underlying assumptions inherent to mental health theory and practice. The paper’s value is that it draws attention to this particular dilemma on a wider scale, including on a political and policy-based level, which is often neglected in mental health theory, and it makes some recommendations on how to move forward. Key words: Social determinants of mental health, rhetoric/reality gap, mental health axioms, politics, policy Paper type: Conceptual paper""
BMC Public Health
Background Social circumstances in which people live and work impact the population’s mental health. We aimed to synthesise evidence identifying effective interventions and policies that influence the social determinants of mental health at national or scaled population level. We searched five databases (Cochrane Library, Global Health, MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO) between Jan 1st 2000 and July 23rd 2019 to identify systematic reviews of population-level interventions or policies addressing a recognised social determinant of mental health and collected mental health outcomes. There were no restrictions on country, sub-population or age. A narrative overview of results is provided. Quality assessment was conducted using Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR 2). This study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019140198). Results We identified 20 reviews for inclusion. Most reviews were of low or critically low quality. Primary studies were mostly observational and from higher...
2021
There has been a significant increase in the number of children and teens experiencing mental health issues globally. Good mental health is linked inextricably to physical health and integral to overall wellbeing. Mental health can be shaped significantly by one’s social, economic, and local environment, particularly during the childhood and adolescent years. Social inequalities that begin in childhood and adolescence can affect individuals over the life course. They can also be perpetuated from generation to generation. Addressing these inequalities early on is key. In this review article, we discuss the associations between childhood mental health and specific social determinants including poverty, food security/nutrition, neighborhood/community, trauma, and racism. We also discuss possible global strategies to address these determinants to improve mental health.