Social injustice drives both mental illnesses and mental health inequities. Just as we as mental health professionals must learn patients’ history and functional impairments to effectively treat their symptoms, we also must learn (or, more accurately, relearn) our society’s history and structural injustices to effectively transform its systems. Substantial progress toward mental health equity will not come overnight or without struggle, but in the absence of knowledge about social injustice, it certainly will not come at all.

Target Audience

This program is intended for: Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Fellows, Residents, Interns and Nurses

Learning Objectives

• Identify the relevance of social justice in mental health in order to re-examine mental health and illness in the context of the U.S. society.

• Discuss the impact of social hierarchies on diagnostic processes and classifications in order to better serve patients from marginalized communities.

• Self-evaluate the concept of social justice advocacy in order to identify action steps that can be taken to advance justice.