{"id":3437,"date":"2020-10-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-07T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eccovia.com\/mentalhealthandsdoh\/"},"modified":"2024-03-06T14:04:01","modified_gmt":"2024-03-06T14:04:01","slug":"mentalhealthandsdoh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eccovia.com\/blog\/mentalhealthandsdoh\/","title":{"rendered":"The Two-Way Relationship Between Mental Health and SDoH"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With World Mental Health Day coming up on October 10th, communities across the globe are looking\u00a0for\u00a0better ways to manage\u00a0mental and behavioral health. Social determinants of health are an effective way of measuring these mental health levels, and research suggests that mental health may have a cyclical relationship with these indicators:\u00a0SDoH\u00a0can often predict mental illness, and likewise these untreated issues can be a precursor to lower levels of\u00a0SDoH. Programs can best help at-risk individuals by taking a comprehensive approach.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

THE STATE OF MENTAL HEALTH IN THE US<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Did you know that mental health issues\u2014and the behavioral problems that\u00a0<\/span>are associated<\/span>\u2014account for over\u00a0<\/span>1\/3 of all disease in the United\u00a0<\/span>States1<\/span>?<\/span>\u00a0Approximately 50% of all US citizens will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime, with more than 1\/5 <\/span>of adults working through a diagnosable mental health condition\u00a0<\/span>in a given year<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It<\/span>\u00a0is<\/span>\u00a0no question that the status of\u00a0<\/span>mental health in the US is in crisis<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span>t is nearly\u00a0<\/span>double\u00a0<\/span><\/i>the rate of other developed countries2<\/span>. <\/span>Although mental health is prevalent across all\u00a0<\/span>nations,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>not<\/span>\u00a0all populations are affected equally.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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WHO IS AT RISK, AND WHY?<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

D<\/span>isadvantaged communities continuously show the highest<\/span>\u00a0number<\/span>\u00a0of mental illness<\/span>\u00a0cases<\/span>. For instance,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>1\/4<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of the total homeless population experiences some form of severe mental illness3<\/span>. Substance abuse (like alcoholism and drug addiction) stemming from mental health is 20-30% higher in LGBTQ individuals than heterosexual and cis-gender people. <\/span>Even more<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>some reports indicate up to 80% of\u00a0<\/span>refugees face depression and anxiety in the US4<\/span>. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>i<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0a reason why mental illness is so common among these populations. Disadvantaged communities often face the greatest difficulties among\u00a0<\/span>social determinants of health<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(<\/span>SDoH<\/span>). These determinants inform not only the risk of disorder, but also the access to mental services which in turn affect\u00a0<\/span>improved outcomes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Specifically, researchers have found that a large number of SDoH directly correlate with individual and community mental health5<\/span>. These factors include, but are not limited to:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n