What do we mean by "social" in mental health research?

Baptiste Brossard; Tegan Cruwys; Haochen Zhou; Gabriel Helleren-Simpson

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113233

What do we mean by "social" in mental health research?

Soc Sci Med. 2020 Sep:261:113233. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113233. Epub 2020 Jul 24.

Authors

Baptiste Brossard¹, Tegan Cruwys², Haochen Zhou², Gabriel Helleren-Simpson³

Affiliations

¹ Australian National University, School of Sociology, Australia. Electronic address: baptiste.brossard@anu.edu.au.
² Australian National University, Research School of Psychology, Australia.
³ Australian National University, School of Sociology, Australia.

PMID: 32745825
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113233

Abstract

This article presents a methodology designed to study what is considered "social" in research on the topic of mental health. Examining a sample of 289 academic publications, we coded the meanings attributed to "social" and their linkage to mental health. Reflecting on this methodology offers a way to discuss the various uses of the adjective "social," and highlights the significance of its (often lacking) definition in the construction of research objects.

Keywords: Mental health; Mental illness; Mixed methods; Social determinants; Social factors; Social functioning.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Humans
Mental Disorders*
Mental Health*