Depression and Social Determinants of Health-View Presentation

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In the symposium, experts discussed the profound impact of social determinants of health on various populations. Dr. Tatiana Falcón highlighted how these determinants affect youth, emphasizing how factors from prenatal conditions to cultural experiences significantly shape mental health development. She pointed to stark disparities in health outcomes, particularly among black and Latinx infants, attributed to lack of access to adequate prenatal care and exposure to racism. The disparities extend into mental healthcare access, starkly noted in Latino and black children being underrepresented in mental health services and overrepresented in the justice system.<br /><br />Following Dr. Falcón, Dr. Ruby Castilla presented on the intersection of social determinants and women's mental health, exploring how genetics, stress, trauma, and reproductive cycles influence mental health. Castilla stressed the need for improved policies targeting women's health, especially in lower socioeconomic brackets, and noted how systemic barriers, including economic, societal stigma, and limited service integration, hinder women's access to mental health care.<br /><br />Dr. Fernando S.P. Forsen then discussed these determinants in inpatient psychiatry, showing how homelessness, inadequate residential care, and systemic failures perpetuate mental health crises. Forsen emphasized that socioeconomic status severely impacts patients' health outcomes, illustrating the revolving door of homelessness and healthcare system inefficacies leading to chronic mental health issues.<br /><br />Panelists underscored the systemic inequities and called for greater community partnerships, awareness, and policy intervention to address the foundational social disparities contributing to mental health disorders, fostering a collective pursuit of equitable health opportunities for all communities.

Keywords

social determinants of health

mental health disparities

prenatal care

cultural experiences

racial disparities

women's mental health

socioeconomic status

systemic barriers

homelessness

community partnerships

policy intervention