“Without mental health, you don’t have health,” said Keynote speaker Professor Sir Michael G. Marmot MBBS, MPH, PhD (Director of University College London Institute of Health Equity (Marmot Institute) and Chair of European Review on the Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide) as he kicked-off The Social Determinants of Urban Mental Health Conference in Chicago, IL. He then discussed his research, which include the Whitehall Studies of British Civil Servants, which outline the inverse social gradient in morbidity and mortality. He and other researchers shared empirical evidence that showed living in affluent communities is significantly related to high life expectancy, while living in low-income neighborhoods is significantly related to lower life expectancy.
The theme of the conference is illustrated by this line: "Our zip code may be more important to our health than our genetics." One’s zip code can define income level but also involves many social factors that impact mental health. Presentations on the social determinants of urban mental health covered more than access to health care; they covered poverty, social cohesion (follow this link to see a presentation on the importance of social capital and ethnic density in population mental health: http://www.slideshare.net/TheAdlerSchool/social-determinants-of-urban-mental-health-paving-the-way-forward-dr-sarah-curtis?from=share_email), green space, access to quality food (a presenter emphasized the importance of intake of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids since they provide nourishment of our brains), and more. Other related issues that weren’t thoroughly discussed are: social exclusion, racism and discrimination, violence, public safety, homelessness, overcrowding, pollution, clean air and water, sanitation, abandoned housing, and sustainable resources.
My favorite presentation was “Nature in the city: An over-looked factor in urban mental health” by Dr. Frances E. (Ming) Kuo (Associate Professor at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Director of Landscape and Human Health Laboratory), which illustrated that the urban landscape “has substantial impacts on key contributors and indices of urban mental health.” Her presentation demonstrated, through empirical evidence, that greenness promotes mental health; it lifts moods, reduces anxiety, improves cognitive performance (even in children with AD/HD), reduces aggression and violence, and reduces feelings of loneliness and isolation, even after controlling for income. Fortunately, both Ripon College and the City of Ripon provide residents with plenty of green space, as well as social cohesion given that both are close-knit communities that together, make a larger close-knit community, though perhaps both the campus and community lack ethnic density given the lack of diversity.
The reality is that 80% of Americans live in cities (In fact, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas!). Through a social determinants framework, we can see that it is necessary to seek change in policy outside of health care in order to enhance Americans’ health. “Every sector is a health sector” was a message repeated throughout the two-day event. Everything impacts our mental health. Policy decisions shape the conditions that impact mental health. Therefore, we must strive for social justice and equality by getting policymakers to consider the implications on health in ALL policies. The fact that research demonstrates that living in cities is linked to increased risk for mental health problems (“How Do Cities Cause Mental Illness?”) further highlights the need for us to take action.
The conference was very optimistic and hopeful about achieving positive change and enhancing mental health, both urban and rural. Professor Sir Michael G. Marmot challenged conference attendees to contemplate social change when he stated, “We have the knowledge and means to change the conditions (in regards to mental health), but do we have the will?” The passion with which he spoke spread around the room like a wave of heat. He outlined the need to use research to relieve human suffering, especially at a macro-level and ended by saying, “We must take action because it’s the right thing to do.”
"Innovation, collaboration, and compassion" were outlined to be what we need in order to make a significant positive impact on the well-being/mental health of Americans (and every citizen of this world). I learned from the conference not to feel overwhelmed by the amount of change we need. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, we can work collectively to achieve positive changes and policies that enhance our mental health, not hurt it.
The first step could be: Think global. Act local.
Thank you to the Office of Community Engagement and Dean of Students for allowing me to be a part of this very important conversation. Thank you for the priceless learning opportunity.
Sincerely,
Dulce Anahi Andrade
