3.2 Mental Health

Learning Outcomes

After completing this module, the student will be able to:

  • Define and identify social determinants of mental health and the relation to health disparities, health inequities, and social justice.
  • Provide examples of psychosocial risk and protective factors of mental well being and poor mental health.
  • Provide examples of societal and environmental risk and protective factors of mental well-being and poor mental health.
  • Explain the social-ecological model and life course Perspective as they relate to mental health
  • Explain how key public health strategies (surveillance, screening and early identification, preventive interventions, health promotion, community action, and policy interventions) can be applied to population mental health and provide examples for each.
  • List some of the lessons learned over the past few decades in North America and how these relate to future recommendations in the field.

Developed by Carol A. Dolan, Ph.D., Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health and Sarah E. Coleman, MPH (BUSPH 2018).