About this Research Topic
Reducing inequities in social circumstances (e.g., societal norms, values, and behaviors) and maintaining optimal health are pivotal to achieving sustainable global development. Yet, the potential biosocial basis, and their potential interactions, in health and disease disparities have largely been unexplored – especially in the low- and middle-income (LMIC) settings and, importantly, for mental health outcomes. Such evaluations are essential since prevention and care related to many global diseases, including mental health conditions, are often socially determined. For instance, vulnerable populations (e.g., victims of armed conflict, migrants, and individuals affected by natural disasters) have limited access to timely diagnoses for mental health disorders and restricted follow-up associated with increased suicidal behavior (especially for those with mood disorders). Additionally, local social contexts must shape relevant treatment or biomedical solutions to achieve effective and sustainable public health impacts. Specifically, the prevention/treatment of mental health conditions like dementia and mood disorders requires a different approach in LMICs compared to high-income countries target due to their geographical and cultural frame, health system organization challenges, and limitations in coverage for mental health.
This Research Topic welcomes research focusing on the understanding of the biosocial basis behind inequities concerning untreated mental disorders, such as mood and psychotic disorders. The COVID-19 pandemic differentially exposed individuals to several economic restrictions, isolation, and limitations in mental health care with an acute impact on suicide mortality rates; more research is needed to understand long-term local/regional determinants of suicidal behavior. It is also urgent to establish the impact on mental health and well-being of the rapid environmental changes regarding climate change, armed conflict, and migration where most of the LMIC face crucial challenges such as the extreme rain and dry seasons, host the majority of armed conflicts around the world and record the most extensive migrations, both internal and international. Finally, there is an urgent call for dementia among older adults. LMICs are expected to see a 300% increase in the incidence of dementia-related syndromes over the following decades, and the biosocial drivers need to be clarified. Core challenges include implementing preventive strategies in at-risk dementia populations, meeting capacity-building needs, and creating regional and national dementia plans.
To address this key unmet need, we propose a Research Topic on the biosocial determinants and solutions of mental health conditions in low and middle-income countries. This theme will publish reports from studies that have involved (a) the individual and cross-cutting roles of social and biological determinants of mental health outcomes (which are distinctive to specific population settings and subgroups) and (b) provide results or frameworks for action-oriented studies (e.g., psychosocial therapies and community-engaged interventions) to address these uneven conditions in LMICs.
This Research Topic welcomes research focusing on the understanding of the biosocial basis behind inequities concerning untreated mental disorders, such as mood and psychotic disorders. The COVID-19 pandemic differentially exposed individuals to several economic restrictions, isolation, and limitations in mental health care with an acute impact on suicide mortality rates; more research is needed to understand long-term local/regional determinants of suicidal behavior. It is also urgent to establish the impact on mental health and well-being of the rapid environmental changes regarding climate change, armed conflict, and migration where most of the LMIC face crucial challenges such as the extreme rain and dry seasons, host the majority of armed conflicts around the world and record the most extensive migrations, both internal and international. Finally, there is an urgent call for dementia among older adults. LMICs are expected to see a 300% increase in the incidence of dementia-related syndromes over the following decades, and the biosocial drivers need to be clarified. Core challenges include implementing preventive strategies in at-risk dementia populations, meeting capacity-building needs, and creating regional and national dementia plans.
To address this key unmet need, we propose a Research Topic on the biosocial determinants and solutions of mental health conditions in low and middle-income countries. This theme will publish reports from studies that have involved (a) the individual and cross-cutting roles of social and biological determinants of mental health outcomes (which are distinctive to specific population settings and subgroups) and (b) provide results or frameworks for action-oriented studies (e.g., psychosocial therapies and community-engaged interventions) to address these uneven conditions in LMICs.
Keywords: Mental Health; Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs); Social determinants of health; Implementation Research; Social Inequalities.
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