Assessing and Addressing Social Determinants of Mental Health in Counseling: A Grounded Theory Investigation

ABSTRACT This grounded theory study investigated effective factors for assessing and addressing social determinants of mental health (SDMH) within counseling. Professional counselors ( N = 20) self‐identifying with expertise in assessing and addressing SDMH shared their practices through individual semistructured interviews. The social determinants‐based counseling model (SDCM) emphasized five key action strategies: broaching SDMH with clients, maximizing cultural competence, contextualizing interventions, fostering client self‐advocacy, and sustaining community‐embedded resources. In addition, the SDCM shows the contextual and intervening conditions that influence these strategies, leading to short‐term, intermediate, and long‐term outcomes of SDMH best practices. This study offers an empirically grounded counseling model that equips professional counselors to assess and address SDMH, promoting equity and improved mental health outcomes through culturally responsive, community‐embedded practices.