Mental health does not exist in a vacuum. The context in which an individual is born, grows, lives, and works has a profound impact on their mental and physical well-being. But although the powerful effects of these social determinants of mental health are not in question, how to affect them in actionable ways is. Struggle and Solidarity addresses that gap in a compelling manner. By taking a case study approach to seven key pieces of federal legislation-among them, the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, the Social Security Act of 1935, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965-it demonstrates how public policies, even when not explicitly mental health-related, can shape social determinants and improve mental health in the United States. For each of the seven laws, the book describes * The crisis in society that spurred the laws inception* Some of the key individuals and groups who drove its passage* How the law has evolved over time-including its shortcomings* How the law can continue to influence mental health in the future Forgoing academic language in favor of a more approachable style and including photographs of some of the key players involved in each piece of legislation, this volume is accessible to all audiences while still making vivid and rigorous connections between national policymaking and the social determinants of mental health, summarizing the literature linking key social determinants affected by each law to mental health outcomes. In sharing real examples of how individuals and groups have successfully advocated for policy changes, the authors of this book illustrate how important advocacy work can be accomplished and inspire readers to get involved in similar work to improve mental health today and in the future.
Michael T. Compton, M.D., M.P.H., is Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Research Psychiatrist at New York State Psychiatric Institute.
Marc W. Manseau, M.D., M.P.H., is Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York University Grossman School of Medicine.
Chapter 1. "A Glance at Our Rags Would Tell You More"
Chapter 2. Saving Farmers and Striving for Food Security
Chapter 3. From Worker Exploitation to Union Solidarity
Chapter 4. A Stay Against Financial Catastrophe
Chapter 5. Clearing the Air for Mental Health
Chapter 6. Still on the Road to Freedom
Chapter 7. The Times They Are A-Changin
Chapter 8. Remodeling and Breaking New Ground
Chapter 9. Learning from Historys Lessons
The stories in this volume are presented in fascinating and engaging vignettes about ordinary people and their struggle for dignity and a better life. Social needs such as freedom from poverty, food insecurity, climate change, racism, and exploitation are elaborated to draw the reader to an inevitable conclusion. Mental health suffers because of these preventable social determinants. Policy-level change is imperative for impacts on large populations. This is a must-read historical review for anyone interested in advocating for the rights of populations and improving mental health.—Vivian B. Pender, M.D., DLFAPA,President, American Psychiatric Association, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College
I love to read and tend to prefer reading fiction in my spare time. This volume, edited by Michael Compton and Marc Manseau, is a notable exception. It tells the human stories of seven pieces of federal legislation that have improved the mental health of Americans. And these are not seven stories of the development of new treatments or even changes in insurance coverage. They are stories that focus on the social determinants of health. Food, employment, income, clean air, race equity, education, and housing matter for mental health. The book concludes with lessons learned from these quintessentially human narratives about how each of us can make a difference in advancing public health and mental health through policy change.—Lisa Dixon, M.D., MPH, Edna L. Edison Professor of PsychiatryNew York State Psychiatric InstituteColumbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and NewYork-PresbyterianDirector, Division of Behavioral Health Services and Policy Research & Center for Practice Innovations
Struggle and Solidarity is a ground-breaking and inspirational book that shows readers how others have successfully advocated in the past for seven federal non-health-related laws—public policies—that impacted social determinants of health and mental health for the entire population.—Francis Lu, M.D., DLFAPA, Kim Professor in Cultural Psychiatry, Emeritus, UC Davis
