Social Determinants of Mental Health & Implications for Medicaid, SNAP, Housing, Nutrition Assistance-View Presentation

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Dr. Eric Raflawan and Dr. Ron Bailey presented a comprehensive exploration of social determinants and political determinants of mental health, highlighting their profound impact on programs like Medicaid, SNAP, housing, and nutrition assistance. Dr. Raflawan outlined the American Psychiatric Association’s position emphasizing these determinants—conditions such as housing, racism, nutrition, voting rights, and economic stability—that influence mental health outcomes. He stressed that programs like HUD, Medicaid, and SNAP serve millions but face threats of significant funding cuts, which could adversely affect community health and widen disparities. Dr. Raflawan also introduced the political determinants of health framework, centering voting, government actions, and policies as critical levers shaping health equity.<br /><br />Dr. Bailey focused on the intersection of mental health and the criminal justice system, particularly the over-incarceration of individuals with chronic mental illness. He detailed how inadequate community support leads to homelessness and cycling through correctional institutions, underscoring the challenges in providing continuity of care. He advocated for addressing extra-therapeutic factors like housing, employment, family support, and rebuilding trust to improve outcomes. Both speakers stressed the harm caused by partisanship and privatization that undermine health equity and emphasized advocacy as essential.<br /><br />They highlighted the importance of integrated care models, community health workers, and federal-state partnerships in sustaining access to care. Engagement with voting and political processes was framed as vital for advancing mental health equity. For global and low-resource settings, they recommended leveraging technology, task-shifting, and collaborative partnerships. Ultimately, they called for psychiatrists and healthcare professionals to actively participate in advocacy and policy to protect and enhance social determinant programs that critically influence mental health outcomes.

Keywords

social determinants of mental health

political determinants of health

Medicaid funding

SNAP program

housing assistance

mental health equity

criminal justice and mental illness

community health workers

integrated care models

health advocacy