Rethinking research on the social determinants of mental health

This seminar, hosted jointly by the Mental Health Research Group and the Medical Humanities Network, features four distinguished speakers from the ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health at Kings College London, who will each present a perspective on the social determinants of mental health.

The seminar will explore the link between social structures and mental health within social policy.

• Annie Irvine draws on her research into mental health, work, and the UK welfare system to question whether mental health is becoming a "catch-all" explanation for employment difficulties. As social struggles are increasingly framed through the mental health lens, the presentation asks whether this downplays the direct role of social factors in shaping lived experiences. Should poor mental health be seen not as a mediator of socioeconomic outcomes but as a parallel issue? Which social actors and policy areas should be accountable for change?
• Dörte Bemme focuses on the social aspect of mental health, calling for more inclusive approaches to understanding its determinants. She explores key concepts, such as social justice and structural violence, and integrates perspectives from marginalized communities and advocacy groups. By bridging academic disciplines, lived experiences, and policy, she reimagines the social dimensions of mental health.
• Finally, Hanna Kienzler and Craig Morgan reflect on how such new approaches help the Centre to shift public debate about mental health away from a focus on individualised interventions, towards social practices and policies that promote and sustain good mental health in communities while addressing inequalities and power imbalances.

Some refreshments will be available at the end of the seminar.

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