The Overlapping Roots of Mental Health Disparities: Poverty, Racism, and Trauma as Social Determinants

• By: Jordan Baker Relias
• September 29th, 2025
• community resilience, Fall 2025 Issue, mental health, mental health equity, poverty, protective and risk factors, racism and racial trauma, social determinants of health, trauma-informed care
• 607    0

Mental health cannot be fully understood — or effectively addressed — without considering the powerful forces that shape people’s everyday lives. Poverty, racism, and trauma are more than just challenges individuals face; they are deeply embedded social determinants of mental health that...