Social Determinants of Mental Health: A Comprehensive Guide

Are you interested in understanding the social determinants of mental health and how they impact our overall well-being? “The Social Determinants of Mental Health” is a thought-provoking book that aims to fill the gap in the existing literature on this critical topic.

What are Social Determinants of Mental Health?

Social determinants of mental health refer to the factors that stem from where we learn, play, live, work, and age, and impact our mental health and well-being. These factors include 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, and poor access to mental health care.

Key Features of the Book

This comprehensive book offers several beneficial features for clinicians, public health professionals, and students:

• Clinical vignettes to make the content accessible and demonstrate practical applicability
• Policy implications discussed throughout to highlight relevance for both clinical and public health professionals
• Key points at the end of each chapter to reinforce take-away messages and prepare readers for the main points
• An in-depth overview that summarizes the editors’ conceptualization of social determinants of mental health
• A final chapter coauthored by Dr. David Satcher, 16th Surgeon General of the United States, serving as a “Call to Action” with specific actions for clinicians and policymakers

A Balanced Perspective

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

Benefits for Students

Students preparing for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) will also benefit from this book, as the MCAT tests applicants’ knowledge of social determinants of health. The social determinants of mental health are intricately linked with physical health, and this book provides a comprehensive understanding of both.

Book Details

Published by American Psychiatric Publishing, this book is available in English and features ISBN numbers 9781585624775 and 9781585625178.