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Introduction
Social structures or networks such as access to education, employment, inclusion in society and so on are important prerequisites in shaping the health of people in any given circumstances. The extent to which we incorporate these factors coupled with biological agents explains why disease are produced (Berkman, Kawachi, & Glymour, 2014). For example people with good education have access to better quality health care and are well integrated in societies thus are rarely affected with mental health problems. This has been seen to be a major problem in low income countries where mental health issues are often being neglected on a wider scale (Sankoh, Sevalie, & Weston, 2018). These are guided by some of the theories which are described below;
The psychosocial theory explains the different level of insusceptibility exerted by individuals in societies to become more vulnerable in getting a disease as a result of their exposure or otherwise (Krieger, 2001).It is apparent therefore in this context to understand the most important mechanisms underlying the development of such disease. Indeed one can argue that the differences in which people are inclusive in or isolated in societies also plays a central role in defining who gets which disease at any point in time and space (Berkman et al. 2014). However, according to Oakes and Kaufman (2006), individuals with mental health conditions are improved if they receive social support from family members and friends in societies in which they live. This explains why people with mental health problems needs to be integrated in societies in order to improve their health outcomes.
Social production of disease theory asserts the implication of the unequal distribution of resources to individuals in societies leading to the increasing gap in the socio economic status of people (Krieger, 2001). It is however important to put into consideration that individuals who lack good education, employment or better income are always inevitable to have poor health outcomes as compared to their counterparts because of their involvement in multiple poor behaviors (Berkman et al. 2014). This is a crucial momentum as it may construct a vicious cycle of poverty from one generation to the other and the extent to which this varies in the society should not be underestimated. It is also easier for biological agents to enter and cause diseases in these group of people because of their weak immunity as a result of excessive exposure to hazards.
Eco-social theory depicts the outcome of individuals health when they are exposed to multiple factors in the environment in which they live coupled with other social factors (Berkman et al. 2014). It could be understood that the exposure to disease causing organisms can actually vary among people in the same geographical location which is largely connected to the level of support one is privileged to have. The response to each of these biological forces within the body may differ significantly even where as we are all confined within the same environment (Krieger, 2001). According to Koenen (2014), mental illness is predominantly visible among adults who in some cases were in their early life (fetal development) exposed to difficult moments. This tells us why it is important to provide substantial protection to women during pregnancy in order to prevent such an undesirable health outcomes.
In conclusion, the manner in which disease occurs among people is multifactorial. In addition, social structures are not equally distributed within the population and therefore have an effect on the population as a whole. Since disease arises as a result of cumulative exposures to both past and present biological and environmental agents (Kuh, Ben-Shlomo, Lynch, Hallqvist, & Power, 2003),it is therefore imperative to control how and to what degree we are exposed to such conditions in order to improve our health especially among mentally ill people in our societies.
References
- Berkman, L. F., Kawachi, I., & Glymour, M. (2014). Social Epidemiology. New York, UNITED STATES: Oxford University Press USA – OSO.
- Krieger, N. (2001). A glossary for social epidemiology. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 55(10), 693. doi:10.1136/jech.55.10.693
- Koenen, K. C. (2014). A life course approach to mental disorders. Koenen, Koenen.
- Kuh, D., Ben-Shlomo, Y., Lynch, J., Hallqvist, J., & Power, C. (2003). Life course epidemiology. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 57(10), 778-783. doi:10.1136/jech.57.10.778
- Oakes, J. M., & Kaufman, J. S. (2006). Methods in Social Epidemiology. Hoboken, UNITED STATES: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
- Sankoh, O., Sevalie, S., & Weston, M. (2018). Mental health in Africa. The Lancet Global Health, 6(9), e954-e955. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30303-6
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