The importance of social determinants of health (SDOH) on mental health outcomes is increasingly recognized by the fields of psychiatry and mental health. Recent research has focused on advances made in SDOH work over the past 5 years. SDOH frameworks and theories have expanded to include a range of social conditions, such as immigration traumas and psychosocial strengths, that impact mental health and well-being. Inequitable social conditions, like food insecurity and housing instability, have consistently been shown to negatively affect physical and mental health in marginalized populations. Social systems of oppression, including racism, also increase the risk for psychiatric and mental disorders. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the inequitable impact of SDOH on health outcomes. There have been efforts to intervene on SDOH at the individual, community, and policy levels, which have shown promise in improving mental health outcomes for marginalized populations. However, there are still major gaps that need to be addressed. It is important to develop guiding frameworks that incorporate equity and antiracism when designing SDOH interventions, as well as improve the methodological approaches for evaluating these interventions. Structural-level and policy-level SDOH efforts are crucial for achieving long-lasting advancements in mental health equity.

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