The Social Determinants of Mental Health: A Comprehensive Guide

Edited by Michael T. Compton, this book fills a significant gap in the psychiatric, scholarly, and policy-related literature by exploring the social determinants of mental health. These factors, such as where we learn, play, live, work, and age, have a profound impact on our overall mental well-being.

Understanding the Social Determinants of Mental Health

The book covers a range of crucial topics, including:

• Discrimination and social exclusion
• Adverse early life experiences
• Poor education
• Unemployment, underemployment, and job insecurity
• Income inequality, poverty, and neighborhood deprivation
• Food insecurity
• Poor housing quality and housing instability
• Adverse features of the built environment
• Poor access to mental health care

These social determinants have a significant impact on our mental health, and it’s essential to understand their effects to provide effective solutions.

A Valuable Resource for Clinicians and Public Health Professionals

This thought-provoking book offers many beneficial features, including:

• Clinical vignettes to make the content accessible and applicable to readers with a clinical background
• Policy implications discussed throughout to demonstrate the relevance of the subject matter for readers working at the public health or policy level
• Five to six key points in each chapter to highlight the most important content and reinforce the take-away messages

In addition to the main body of the book, the volume includes an in-depth overview that summarizes the editors’ conceptualization and a final chapter co-authored by Dr. David Satcher, 16th Surgeon General of the United States, that serves as a “Call to Action” for both clinicians and policymakers.

Balancing Individual and Population Perspectives

The editors have successfully balanced the individual/clinical/patient perspective and the population/public health/community point of view, emphasizing the need for collaboration to address the inequities in modern America.

This book provides readers with the tools to understand and act to improve mental health and reduce the risk of mental illnesses for individuals and communities. It’s an essential resource for students preparing for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and anyone interested in promoting better mental health outcomes.

By recognizing the significance of social determinants in mental health, we can work towards creating a healthier and more equitable society.

About the Book

Publisher: American Psychiatric Publishing

Language: English

ISBN: 9781585624775, 9781585625178

Publication Date: April 1, 2015