Why are social determinants important?

​There are many reasons why psychologists should address the social determinants of health in their work:

• Our health and wellbeing are influenced by far more than the health care system, or the individual choices we make.
• Psychologists can do much more than provide treatment, they can promote equity of access to services, and help to reduce health inequities through action on social determinants.
• The number of people in need of treatment far outweighs the supply of practitioners. Systems-level intervention is also required.
• The increasing numbers of people with mental illness are inequitably distributed across the population, indicating that mental illness is more prevalent amongst disadvantaged groups.
• Psychologists have a responsibility to uphold justice and challnge discrimination, as set out in the APS Code of Ethics.