Social determinants of mental health: The role of proximal and distal factors.

BACKGROUND

A body of evidence indicates that mental health is influenced by social factors.

AIMS: This study aims to explore the social determinants of mental disorders by applying a conceptual framework for the social determinants of mental disorders.

METHOD: The study was conducted on a representative sample of the Serbian population (N = 1,000, age range, 18-65 years). A wide spectrum of mental disorders (depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, somatization, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, dissociation, and prodromal symptoms) and five domains of proximal and distal social determinants of mental health were assessed.

RESULTS

Distal variables predicted symptom severity across all disorders. Proximal variables predicted symptom severity of all disorders over and above distal predictors.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the importance of a wide range of social determinants that contribute to mental health.