Struggle and Solidarity

This book presents seven key pieces of federal legislation and demonstrates how public policies—even when not explicitly mental health–related—can shape social determinants and improve mental health.

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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.