I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude to Dr. Sue Bennett, Dr.
Nick Spencer, and Dr. Hajime Takeuchi for highlighting the importance of
social determinants in adolescent mental health.
I have an experience in understanding the impact of social determinants on
adolescent mental health.
In my work experience, firstly I have worked in Başkent University
Hospital. This hospital is in the richest part of Ankara, Türkiye.
And then, continued to work in Dr. Sami Ulus Children Hospital. It is a
large downtown hospital in the poorest part of Ankara.
Luckily, my team was the same in these hospitals (Same paediatrician, same
child psychiatrist, same social worker).
We have seen a lot of patients, adolescents with mental health problems:
depression, PTSD, ADHD, anxiety, eating disorders, suicidal ideation….
What I have seen is that patients in rich neighborhoods were getting better
with the exact same services and exact same team.
But patients in poor neighbourhood were not doing so well.
So what was happening here?
Social determinants of adolescent mental health, circumstances into which
they are born, grow up and live.
These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and
resources at global, national and local levels.
Systemic unjust, avoidable, social, economic and mental policies.
Those policies create barriers to opportunity.
Unfortunately, so often adolescents with mental health problems usually end
up into least advantaged category.
As Dr. Sue Bennet indicates with her beautiful article, is ‘Social
Prescribing’ a solution?
As social pediatricians and health professionals we are responsible for
improving social determinants of adolescent mental health.
How can policies be shaped?
These are political issues.
Should we get political?
We need more research particularly for developing countries as my country.
Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a happy new year!!!
Regards
gonca
CHIFA profile: Gonca Yilmaz is a member of the Executive Committee of the International Society for Social Paediatrics and Child Health. She is a social pediatrician in a training hospital in Ankara, Turkey, and has a postgraduate degree in Social Pediatrics. Her interests include child rights, child abuse and neglect management, well-child and baby care, and infant nutrition. goncay AT gmail.com