Author: Jane Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald, Jane, 2020 The social determinants of health and psychological well being: improving the mental health of all through broad based policy and intersectoral action, Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health
Terms of Use: This electronic version is (or will be) made publicly available by Flinders University in accordance with its open access policy for student theses. Copyright in this thesis remains with the author. You may use this material for uses permitted under the Copyright Act 1968. If you are the owner of any included third party copyright material and/or you believe that any material has been made available without permission of the copyright owner please contact copyright@flinders.edu.au with the details.
Increasing experiences of mental illness in Australian communities have resulted in an increased demand for treatment services and supports. However, to reduce the incidence of mental illness, policy and practice that supports population mental health and psychological wellbeing by addressing the social determinants of mental health is needed. It is through implementing policy that addresses the social determinants of health across different government sectors that both health and mental health is enabled. In this research, policy analysis of policy from the state-based health, urban planning and natural environment sectors was completed to identify which policies best supported population mental health and psychological wellbeing. This qualitative research used multiple sources of data: written policy, policy actor interviews and case studies to identify and explore best practice examples of policy that when universally applied have the potential to improve the psychological wellbeing of all. Identification of the 30-year Plan for Greater Adelaide and the Healthy Parks, Healthy People policies from the urban planning and natural environment sectors respectively, offered opportunities for salutogenic practice that supports both individual and population mental health and psychological wellbeing. Conversely, the health sector was found to be predominately focused on individuals, the biomedical model and clinical treatment. Policy which focuses on wellbeing, liveability and intersectoral practice was found to facilitate population mental health. Policy which prioritises economic outcomes over social outcomes was found to act as a barrier. Opportunities for increased intersectoral practice to improve wellbeing and liveability are urgently needed and such practice will support population psychological wellbeing and reduce the incidence of mental illness.
Keywords: mental health promotion, population mental health, determinants of mental health, intersectoral policy
Subject: Public Health thesis
Thesis type: Doctor of Philosophy
Completed: 2020
School: College of Medicine and Public Health
Supervisor: Dr. Fran Baum