Health and Mental Health
Achieving optimal health and mental health outcomes for our population is increasingly being recognized as dependant on effective interdisciplinary collaborations in practice and research. Canada has provided international leadership in articulating a social determinants of health perspective that draws attention to the connections between economic and social disadvantage and barriers to maintaining and achieving health. This perspective is actively championed by social work. Social work research in mental health and health looks at issues like access and equity in health care, social and psychological contributors to ill physical and mental health, psychosocial issues associated with illness, disability and recovery, how families are affected by illness and how communities can be mobilized for health promotion. There are many health research projects being conducted at Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work by teams of faculty members, adjunct faculty members, field instructors and community collaborators in Canada and other parts of the world.