27 Mental Health Awareness ● Sensibilisation à la santé mentale Mental Health and Crime Prevention The social determinants of health The conditions in which we live play a significant role in both the likelihood of mental illness as well as involvement in the criminal justice system. Q: What are the social determinants of health? A: The social determinants of health are the non-medical factors that can impact physical and mental health outcomes. These are the conditions in which someone is born into, where they grow up, live, work, and age, and the broader systems that shape the conditions of daily life. These systems include economic policies and systems, social norms and policies, and political systems. The social determinants of health have a big impact on health inequalities, such as mental illness. Health and illness follow a pattern: the lower the socioeconomic position, the worse their health will be. Here are some examples of the social determinants of health, which can influence health in positive and negative ways: - income and social protection, - education, - unemployment and job security, - working conditions, - food insecurity, - housing, basic amenities and the environment, - early childhood development, - social inclusion and non- discrimination, - structural conflict, and - access to affordable and quality health services. The social determinants of health can be more important than healthcare and lifestyle when influencing physical and mental health and can account for between 30-55% of health outcomes. Image by www.freepik.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0NTk1OA==