The "social determinants of health perspective" stipulates that health and well-being for individuals and families are inextricably linked to contextual risk and protective factors nested across layers of organization. At a time of significant social change and environmental stress, it is of pressing importance to showcase lifespan research that identifies these social determinants, to guide policy and public health response that is sensitive to the historical epoch.
The Social Determinants of Mental Health aims to fill the gap that exists in the psychiatric, scholarly, and policy-related literature on the social determinants of mental health: those factors stemming from where we learn, play, live, work, and age that impact our overall mental health and well-being. The editors and an impressive roster of chapter authors from diverse scholarly backgrounds provide detailed information on topics such as 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. This thought-provoking book offers many beneficial features for clinicians and public health professionals: Clinical vignettes are included, designed to make the content accessible to readers who are primarily clinicians and also to demonstrate the practical, individual-level applicability of the subject matter for those who typically work at the public health, population, and/or policy level. Policy implications are discussed throughout, designed to make the content accessible to readers who work primarily at the public health or population level and also to demonstrate the policy relevance of the subject matter for those who typically work at the clinical level. All chapters include five to six key points that focus on the most important content, helping to both prepare the reader with a brief overview of the chapter's main points and reinforce the "take-away" messages afterward. In addition to the main body of the book, which focuses on selected individual social determinants of mental health, the volume includes an in-depth overview that summarizes the editors' and their colleagues' conceptualization, as well as a final chapter coauthored by Dr. David Satcher, 16th Surgeon General of the United States, that serves as a "Call to Action," offering specific actions that can be taken by both clinicians and policymakers to address the social determinants of mental health. The editors have succeeded in the difficult task of balancing the individual/clinical/patient perspective and the population/public health/community point of view, while underscoring the need for both groups to work in a unified way to address the inequities in twenty-first century America. The Social Determinants of Mental Health gives readers the tools to understand and act to improve mental health and reduce risk for mental illnesses for individuals and communities. Students preparing for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) will also benefit from this book, as the MCAT in 2015 will test applicants' knowledge of social determinants of health. The social determinants of mental health are not distinct from the social determinants of physical health, although they deserve special emphasis given the prevalence and burden of poor mental health.
In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.
The anthrax incidents following the 9/11 terrorist attacks put the spotlight on the nation's public health agencies, placing it under an unprecedented scrutiny that added new dimensions to the complex issues considered in this report. The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century reaffirms the vision of Healthy People 2010, and outlines a systems approach to assuring the nation's health in practice, research, and policy. This approach focuses on joining the unique resources and perspectives of diverse sectors and entities and challenges these groups to work in a concerted, strategic way to promote and protect the public's health. Focusing on diverse partnerships as the framework for public health, the book discusses: The need for a shift from an individual to a population-based approach in practice, research, policy, and community engagement. The status of the governmental public health infrastructure and what needs to be improved, including its interface with the health care delivery system. The roles nongovernment actors, such as academia, business, local communities and the media can play in creating a healthy nation. Providing an accessible analysis, this book will be important to public health policy-makers and practitioners, business and community leaders, health advocates, educators and journalists.
This open access book examines the triangle between family, gender, and health in Europe from a demographic perspective. It helps to understand patterns and trends in each of the three components separately, as well as their interdependencies. It overcomes the widely observable specialization in demographic research, which usually involves researchers studying either family or fertility processes or focusing on health and mortality. Coverage looks at new family and partnership forms among the young and middle-aged, their relationship with health, and the pathways through which they act. Among the old, lifelong family biography and present family situation are explored. Evidence is provided that partners advancing in age start to resemble each other more closely in terms of health, with the health of the partner being a crucial factor of an individual’s own health. Gender-specific health outcomes and pathways are central in the designs of the studies and the discussion of the results. The book compares twelve European countries reflecting different welfare state regimes and offers country-specific studies conducted in Austria, Germany, Italy - all populations which have received less attention in the past - and Sweden. As a result, readers discover the role of different concepts of family and health as well as comparisons within European countries and ethnic groups. It will be an insightful resource for students, academics, policy makers, and researchers that will help define future research in terms of gender and public health.
The book deals with a broad range of contemporary and recurring empirical and practical issues encapsulated within the context of demographic inquiry and analysis. The papers included here reflect strands of thoughts and research that find expression in interdisciplinary outlook focussing on sexuality, fertility, gender, morbidity and mortality, migration, maternal and child health and the elderly.
This book explores various and distinct aspects of environmental health literacy (EHL) from the perspective of investigators working in this emerging field and their community partners in research. Chapters aim to distinguish EHL from health literacy and environmental health education in order to classify it as a unique field with its own purposes and outcomes. Contributions in this book represent the key aspects of communication, dissemination and implementation, and social scientific research related to environmental health sciences and the range of expertise and interest in EHL. Readers will learn about the conceptual framework and underlying philosophical tenets of EHL, and its relation to health literacy and communications research. Special attention is given to topics like dissemination and implementation of culturally relevant environmental risk messaging, and promotion of EHL through visual technologies. Authoritative entries by experts also focus on important approaches to advancing EHL through community-engaged research and by engaging teachers and students at an early age through developing innovative STEM curriculum. The significance of theater is highlighted by describing the use of an interactive theater experience as an approach that enables community residents to express themselves in non-verbal ways.
This is the definitive textbook on global mental health, an emerging priority discipline within global health, which places priority on improving mental health and achieving equity in mental health for all people worldwide.
Providing context to today's public health practices and broad coverage of topics, this book demonstrates how cross-disciplinary studies are critical to addressing current health issues. The concepts of public health and the methods we use to care for and promote the health of people in communities, groups, and our nation as a whole are of interest to all health professionals. Comprising contributions from historians, scholars, researchers, sociologists, and other public health professionals, the Encyclopedia of Public Health: Principles, People, and Programs offers a firsthand, in-depth view of public health as it applies to everyday life and practice. The encyclopedia contains a wealth of information on critical theories, people, and movements and shows how various disciplines can work together to create healthy communities and practices for many people. As a secondary objective, the book encourages future generations to actively participate in public health. This reference covers the defining moments in the development of public health, from ancient times to the modern day, and offers entries with historical information and examinations of current controversies as they relate to recurring social conflicts. The entries provide a breadth and depth of content that is accessible to a wide readership. Readers will understand the benefits of physical activity and good nutrition as well as the psychology behind the choices that we make and how early life and social experiences can influence behaviors even decades after the event. The wide variety of topics covered includes the life expectancy of Americans at birth, the Tuskegee syphilis study, and marijuana use, and will give readers an informed perspective on past public health successes and likely directions for the future.
Now in its second edition, this continues to be the only advanced practice nursing text to focus on core competencies in both epidemiology and population health. The new edition delivers essential content for Doctoral Nursing Programs (DNP) as outlined by the AACN, and encompasses the many changes in healthcare that affect population-based nursing, including the latest requirements set forth by the enactment of the ACA. All chapters include updated information, new content, and relevant case examples that exemplify successful strategies nurses have used to improve population outcomes. Featuring the contributions of several esteemed new authors, the second edition includes a timely new chapter on global health in population-based nursing and vital information about how new technology and social media can be used to improve population outcomes and to develop innovative solutions. The text describes the role of the APRN in identifying and mitigating healthcare disparities at the national and global level, and provides guidance on how to conduct community assessments. New topics include pay for performance implemented by the S, the overconsumption of salt and increasing use of electronic cigarettes, toxic stress, and more. High-level discussion questions and exercises help to reinforce core concepts. New online materials for faculty include answers to problem sets and supplemental discussion questions. In addition to its value as a primary course textbook in a DNP program, the text also serves as a supplementary text for graduate community health nursing programs. New to the Second Edition: Delivers essential content for Doctoral Nursing Practice (DNP) programs as outlined by the AACN Explains how new technology and social media can be used to improve population outcomes and develop innovative interventions Offers high-level exercises and questions for discussion Presents a timely new chapter on global health in population-based nursing Covers ACA-related requirements such as conducting community health needs assessmentsProvides updated information in all chapters with relevant examples, case studies, discussion questions, and references Offers guidelines on the APRNÃs role in policy-making Presents expanded information on causality, confounding, and describes a comprehensive approach to measuring and interpreting survival data including prognosis Updates program design and development Key Features: Focuses on both epidemiology and population-based nursing competencies Describes the APRN role in identifying and mitigating healthcare disparities at local, national, and global levels Provides guidance in conducting community assessments Includes examples of successful strategies used to improve population outcomes Explains how new technology and social media can be used for the improvement of population outcomes and the development of new and creative interventions. Provides a strong foundation in epidemiologic methodology including mortality measures, the validity and reliability of testing, study designs, sample size, assessing risk and causality, and data analysis and interpretation Offers high-level exercises and questions for discussion to help students synthesize, integrate, and apply information
