Community interventions to promote mental health and social equity

Individual Author(s) / Organizational Author
Castillo, Enrico G.
Ijadi-Maghsoodi, Roya
Shadravan, Sonya
Moore, Elizabeth
Mensah III, Michael O.
Docherty, Mary
Nunez, Maria Gabriela Aguilera
Barcelo, Nicolas
Goodsmith, Nichole
Halpin, Laura E.
Morton, Isabella
Mango, Joseph
Montero, Alanna E.
Koushkaki, Sara Rahmanian
Bromley, Elizabeth
Chung, Bowen
Jones, Felica
Gabrielian, Sonya
Gelberg, Lillian
Greenberg, Jared M.
Kalofonos, Ippolytos
Kataoka, Sheryl H.
Miranda, Jeanne
Pincus, Harold A.
Zima, Bonnie T.
Wells, Kenneth B.
Publisher
Springer Nature
Date
March 2019
Abstract / Description

Purpose of Review: We review recent community interventions to promote mental health and social equity. We define community interventions as those that involve multi-sector partnerships, emphasize community members as integral to the intervention, and/or deliver services in community settings. We examine literature in seven topic areas: collaborative care, early psychosis, school-based interventions, homelessness, criminal justice, global mental health, and mental health promotion/prevention. We adapt the social-ecological model for health promotion and provide a framework for understanding the actions of community interventions.

Recent Findings: There are recent examples of effective interventions in each topic area. The majority of interventions focus on individual, family/interpersonal, and program/institutional social-ecological levels, with few intervening on whole communities or involving multiple non-healthcare sectors. Findings from many studies reinforce the interplay among mental health, interpersonal relationships, and social determinants of health.

Summary: There is evidence for the effectiveness of community interventions for improving mental health and some social outcomes across social-ecological levels. Studies indicate the importance of ongoing resources and training to maintain long-term outcomes, explicit attention to ethics and processes to foster equitable partnerships, and policy reform to support sustainable healthcare-community collaborations. (author abstract)

Artifact Type
Application
Research
Reference Type
Journal Article
P4HE Authored
No
Topic Area
Illness/Disease/Injury/Wellbeing » Mental/Behavioral Health
Policy and Practice » Community-rooted/Participatory Research
Policy and Practice » Interventions