Social Determinants

Last Updated (Friday, 22 May 2009 13:02)

Determinants Approach to Promoting Mental Health
Instead of taking illness as its starting point, a determinants approach to mental health promotion focuses on the behaviours and structures that can protect and enhance mental wellbeing and reduce the risk of developing a mental illness.  

Mental Health Promotion encompasses a broad range of activities aiming to influence the social, physical, economic, educational and cultural environments that underpin mental wellbeing – otherwise known as the social determinants of mental health.

The social determinants of mental health can be been categorised into three areas (HEA, Lahtinen et al, Lehtinen et al cited in Barry and Jenkins, 2007):

Individual: These include an ability to manage feelings, thoughts and life in general, emotional resilience, and an ability to deal with stressful circumstances.  

Community: These include social supports, having a good sense of belonging, and an experience of citizenship and participation in your community.  

Structural: These include economic, social, cultural factors such as adequate housing, employment and education opportunities, access to good transport, and a political system that enhances health.

Taking a determinants approach to mental health promotion means action must take place across different sectors such as housing, education and transport, and therefore is not the responsibility of the health sector alone.

The following definition of mental health promotion makes this clear and refers to the determinants of mental health -  

“Mental health promotion contributes to general health promotion by taking action to ensure social conditions and factors create positive environments for the good mental health and wellbeing of populations, communities and individuals. Mental health promotion requires action to influence determinants of mental health and address inequities through the implementation of effective multi-level interventions across a wide number of sectors, policies, programs, settings and environments.”

(Keleher and Armstrong, 2005)