Social determinants of mental health

The social determinants of mental health (SDOMH) are societal problems that disrupt mental health, increase risk of mental illness among certain groups, and worsen outcomes for individuals with mental illnesses.[1] Much like the social determinants of health (SDOH), SDOMH include the non-medical factors that play a role in the likelihood and severity of health outcomes, such as income levels, education attainment, access to housing, and social inclusion.[2] Disparities in mental health outcomes are a result of a multitude of factors and social determinants, including fixed characteristics on an individual level – such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation – and environmental factors that stem from social and economic inequalities – such as inadequate access to proper food, housing, and transportation, and exposure to pollution.[3]

  1. ^ Shim, Ruth S.; Compton, Michael T. (January 2020). "The Social Determinants of Mental Health: Psychiatrists' Roles in Addressing Discrimination and Food Insecurity". FOCUS. 18 (1): 25–30. doi:10.1176/appi.focus.20190035. ISSN 1541-4094. PMC 7011221. PMID 32047394.
  2. ^ "Social determinants of health". www.who.int. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  3. ^ General, Office of the Surgeon (2021-12-07). "U.S. Surgeon General Issues Advisory on Youth Mental Health Crisis Further Exposed by COVID-19 Pandemic". HHS.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-01.