Struggle and Solidarity: Seven Stories of How Americans Fought for Their Mental Health Through Federal Legislation

Michael T. Compton, M.D., M.P.H.; Marc W. Manseau, M.D., M.P.H.

ISBN 10: 1615372385 / ISBN 13: 9781615372386

Published by American Psychiatric Association Publishing, 2022

About this Item

In English.

Seller Inventory # ria9781615372386_new

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Struggle and Solidarity: Seven Stories of How Americans Fought for Their Mental Health Through Federal Legislation
• Publisher: American Psychiatric Association Publishing
• Publication Date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1615372385
• ISBN 13: 9781615372386
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New
• Weight: 530 grams

About this title

Synopsis

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 law's 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.

About the Author

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.