Global health, human rights, and neoliberalism: The need for structural frameworks when addressing mental health disparities.

Abstract

In this paper we argue that the field of psychology-and the psy-disciplines generally-need to embrace an interdisciplinary approach if they are to be relevant and contribute to global social justice initiatives. We focus on two such initiatives: The Global Mental Health movement and calls for increasing access to mental health services for immigrants. We suggest that a stronger focus on the upstream causes of ill-health, a deeper appreciation for the ways in which neoliberalism deflects attention away from these upstream determinants, and a greater engagement with the field of human rights and other disciplines will lead to more substantive gains in population mental health. Public Significance Statement This paper discusses the ways in which neoliberal ideology advances the medicalization of distress, by emphasizing individual responsibility. For immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers, increasing the provision of psychological services and/or psychotropic drugs in response to structural violence is an insufficient response by the psy-disciplines. Committing to an interdisciplinary and human rights approach to Global Mental Health and to immigrant and refugee health issues will allow us to advance psychology's social justice initiatives.