The 2021-22 APA Presidential Task Force on Social Determinants of Mental Health was established by the APA Board of Trustees in May 2021. The Task Force will conduct its work throughout the term of the APA President, Dr. Vivian Pender, which concludes at the end of the 2022 APA Annual Meeting. At the conclusion of the Task Force, the Task Force will submit a final report of recommendations to the Board of Trustees and also to the Joint Reference Committee outlining the need for the establishment of an APA Caucus on Social Determinants of Mental Health.
Charge of the Task Force
Develop sustainable policies and programs to bring about change in the psychiatric health care of affected populations consistent with the APA Position Statement on Mental Health Equity and the Social and Structural Determinants of Mental Health. Build upon the outcome of the 2020-21 APA Presidential Task Force to Address Structural Racism Throughout Psychiatry and existing research to produce tools for action, specifically programs and policy aimed at improving the well-being of patients, the public, and psychiatrists. The outcome may be used by clinicians, teachers, researchers, and administrators of healthcare systems and community organizations among others, to assess social determinants of mental health and improve individual and community well-being.
Task Force Reports
- 2021 APA September Components Meetings: Task Force Reports (.pdf)
- 2021 APA Component Activities on Social Determinants of Mental Health (.pdf)
- 2022 APA Board of Trustees (March): Task Force Report (.pdf)
- December 2022 Final Report of the Presidential Task Force on Social Determinants of Mental Health (.pdf)
Task Force Membership
APA Position Statement
Position Statement on Mental Health Equity and the Social & Structural Determinants of Mental Health (2018)*
Authors:
- Enrico G. Castillo, M.D.,
- Helena Hansen, M.D.,
- Evita Rocha, M.D.
*includes 50 references in the Position Statement Background Document covering the following areas:
- Mental Health Equity and the Social/Structural Determinants of Health
- Screening and Educational Resources
- Emerging Related Policies and Interventions
APA Resource Document
Resource Document on Social Determinants of Health (2020)*
Authors:
- Ole Thienhaus, M.D., M.B.A.,
- Laura Halpin, M.D., Ph.D.,
- Kunmi Sobowale, M.D.,
- Robert Trestman, Ph.D., M.D.
*includes glossary of terms and 20 references in Appendix sections
Journals & Publications
JAMA Psychiatry Articles
American Journal of Psychiatry Articles
- Dismantling Structural Racism in Psychiatry: A Path to Mental Health Equity (2021)
- From Womb to Neighborhood: A Racial Analysis of Social Determinants of Psychosis in the United States (2021)
- The Social Determinants of Mental Health (2015)
Focus: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry Articles
- The Social Determinants of Mental Health: Psychiatrists’ Roles in Addressing Discrimination and Food Insecurity (2020)
- The Social Determinants of Mental Health (2015)
Psychiatric Services Articles
- COVID-19, Structural Racism, and Mental Health Inequities: Policy Implications for an Emerging Syndemic (2021)
- Social Determinants of Mental Health As Mediators and Moderators of the Mental Health Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic (2021)
- Addressing the Social Determinants of Mental Health: If Not Now, When? If Not Us, Who? (2018)
- The Social Determinant of Mental Health (2015)
Psychiatric News Articles
- APA Fall Conference to Focus on Determinants of Mental Health (2021)
- Addressing Social Determinants of Mental Health (2021)
- Incoming APA President Outlines Specific Plan to Address Social Determinants of Mental Health (2021)
- Address Mental Health’s Social Determinants Through Policy Change (2015)
APA Books
- The Social Determinants of Mental Health (2015)
- Textbook of Psychiatry (7th Edition): Chapter 6. The Social Determinants of Mental Health (2020)*
*includes 34 references and 8 recommended readings
APA Podcasts
Finding Our Voice: Social Exclusion and Isolation
- Climate Change (Apr 2022)
- Exposure to War, Violence, and Shootings and the Impact of Migration (Feb 2022)
- Adverse Early Life Experiences (Nov 2021)
- Social Exclusion and Isolation (Sep 2021)
APA Learning Center Activities
- Social Determinants of Mental Health
- Effects of Loneliness and Social Support on Mental, Cognitive, and Physical Health
- From Drapetomania to Schizophrenia: Systemic Racism, Psychiatry, and Potential Solutions
- Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of African Americans
- Psychological Impact of Racism
- Mental Health of Asian-American and Pacific Islanders
- Racism and Climate Change Impacts on Communities of Color
APA Foundation Resources
- What Are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)?
- What Are Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs)?
- Trauma-Informed Juvenile Justice Fact Sheet
Additional Resources
Medical & Professional Associations
- Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
- American Academy Holdings (American Academy of Professional Coders)
- Coding: Account for SDOH When Coding Office Visits (2020)
- American Academy of Family Physicians
- The EveryONE Project™
- Screening Tool: Feasibility of Screening for SDOH (2019)
- Screening Tools: Three tools for screening for SDOH (2018)
- What Evidence Do We Need Before Recommending Routine Screening for SDOH (2019)
- SDOH: Family Physicians' Leadership Role (2019)
- American College of Surgeons
- American Hospital Association
- American Medical Association
- SDOH Resources
- Course: What Are Social Determinants of Health?
- Webinar: Prioritizing Equity: Political Determinants of Health (2020)
- Screening: Implementation Considerations for SDOH Screening and Referral (2020)
- Screening: Screening for SDOH: The Known and Unknown (2019)
- Association of a Health Equity Curriculum with Medical Students’ Knowledge of SDOH (2021)
- Integrating Health Equity Content Into Health Professions Education (.pdf) (2021)
- “All-hands-on-deck approach” needed on SDOH (2020)
- The Role of Physicians in Addressing SDOH (2020)
- Avoiding the Unintended Consequences of Screening for SDOH (2016)
- American Public Health Association
- Association of American Medical Colleges
- Canadian Medical Association
- National Academy of Medicine
- National Alliance for Mental Illness
- Ways We Can Address the SDOH (2020)
- National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO)
- Courses: Roots of Health Inequity
- National Collaborating Center for Determinants of Health (NCCDH)
- National Collaborative for Health Equity
Federal & State Agencies
- Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)
- Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Health Equity Highlights (.pdf)
- Health Equity Technical Assistance
- Accountable Health Communities Model
- Coding: Using Z Codes: The SDOH Data Journey to Better Outcomes (.pdf) (2021)
- CMS Issues New Roadmap for States to Address the SDOH (2021)
- Disparities Impact Statement (.pdf) (2021)
- Quantifying Health Systems’ Investment in SDOH (2020)
- A Practical Guide to Implementing the National CLAS Standards (.pdf) (2016)
- Building an Organizational Response to Health Disparities (.pdf) (2016)
- Health & Human Services (HHS)
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC)
- Office of Rural Health Policy
- SAMHSA
International & Global Agencies
- NHS Public Health England
- World Health Organization
Health Care Organizations
- Center for Health Care Strategies
- Screening Tool: Screening for SDOH in Populations (2017)
- Deloitte
- Hogg Foundation for Mental Health
- Kaiser Permanente
- Screening Tool: Structural Vulnerability Assessment Tool (2017)
- How Health Orgs Can Use Community Health to Pursue Health Equity (2021)
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Structural Competency