Structural Influences on Mental Health and Mental Health Care

Structural influences on mental health and mental health care have been a core focus from the origins of population-based mental health research. This perspective piece provides context for current work by discussing a selection of theoretical ideas and empirical study examples. The goal is to illustrate several basic concepts that have guided research over the past century and a half and highlight a selection of recent empirical findings that continue presenting challenges to the field. The examples emphasize that, despite the long history of research and theory connecting social structure and mental health, major, robust findings remain unexplained. These examples demonstrate the importance of continuing to research structural influences on mental health. Doing so will guide our understanding of causality and policy design to address inequities in illness burden and treatment.