Social Aspects of Mental Illness

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Is mental illness solely a biological or genetic issue or are there social and environmental aspects as well? Sociological research shows that mental health is shaped by social conditions, such as socioeconomic position, gender and race/ethnicity. In this course, we will consider such topics as how the definition of mental illness changes over time and place; the social determinants of mental health and mental illness; how inequality in resources, power and status influence mental health; the stigma of mental illness; and the social organization of treatments. We will focus on causes and consequences as well as the lived experience of mental illness.