abstract: 'Covid-19 is referred to as a ``syndemic,{''''} i.e., the consequences of

  the disease are exacerbated by social and economic disparity. Poor

  housing, unstable work conditions, caste, class, race and gender based

  inequities and low incomes have a profound effect on mental health and

  wellbeing. Such disparities are increasing between, among and within

  countries and are exacerbated by human rights violations, in institution

  and in society, stigma and discrimination. Social capital can mediate

  health outcomes, through trust and reciprocity, political participation,

  and by mental health service systems, which can be coercive or more open

  to demand of emancipation and freedom. Societal inequalities affect

  especially vulnerable groups, and Covid itself had a wider impact on the

  most socially vulnerable and marginalized populations, suffering for

  structural discrimination and violence. There are complex relations

  among these social processes and domains, and mental health inequalities

  and disparity. Participation and engagement of citizens and community

  organizations is now required in order to achieve a radical

  transformation in mental health. A Local and Global Action Plan has been

  launched recently, by a coalition of organizations representing people

  with lived experience of mental health care; who use services; family

  members, mental health professionals, policy makers and researchers,

  such as the International Mental Health Collaborating Network, the World

  Federation for Mental Health, the World Association for Psychosocial

  Rehabilitation, the Global Alliance of Mental Illness Advocacy Networks

  (GAMIAN), The Mental Health Resource Hub in Chennai, India, The Movement

  for Global Mental Health (MGMH) and others. The Action Plan addresses

  the need for fundamental change by focusing on social determinants and

  achieving equity in mental health care. Equally the need for the

  politics of wellbeing has to be embedded in a system that places mental

  health within development and social justice paradigm, enhancing core

  human capabilities and contrasting discriminatory practices. These

  targets are for people and organizations to adopt locally within their

  communities and services, and also to indicate possible innovative

  solutions to Politics. This global endeavor may represent an alternative

  to the global mental discourse inspired by the traditional biomedical

  model.'
affiliation: 'Mezzina, R (Corresponding Author), World Federat Mental Hlth, Woodbridge,
  VA 22192 USA.

  Mezzina, Roberto, World Federat Mental Hlth, Woodbridge, VA 22192 USA.

  Gopikumar, Vandana, Banyan Acad Leadership Mental Hlth, Chennai, India.

  Gopikumar, Vandana, Madras Sch Social Work, Chennai, India.

  Jenkins, John, Int Mental Hlth Collaborating Network, Exeter, England.

  Saraceno, Benedetto, Lisbon Inst Global Mental Hlth, Lisbon, Portugal.

  Sashidharan, S. P., Univ Glasgow, Inst Hlth \& Wellbeing, Glasgow, Scotland.'
article-number: '894370'
author: Mezzina, Roberto and Gopikumar, Vandana and Jenkins, John and Saraceno, Benedetto
  and Sashidharan, S. P.
author-email: romezzin@gmail.com
author_list:
- family: Mezzina
  given: Roberto
- family: Gopikumar
  given: Vandana
- family: Jenkins
  given: John
- family: Saraceno
  given: Benedetto
- family: Sashidharan
  given: S. P.
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.894370
files: []
issn: 1664-0640
journal: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
keywords: 'community mental healthcare; mental health policy; COVID-19; mental

  health inequality; vulnerable groups; stigma; empowerment; Action Plan'
keywords-plus: 'STRUCTURAL RACISM; INCOME INEQUALITY; COVID-19; POVERTY; DETERMINANTS;

  PREVALENCE; DISORDERS; ILLNESS; IMPACT; AGE'
language: English
month: MAY 30
number-of-cited-references: '105'
papis_id: 5ff279a3bb02348f33c58eb7f370543d
ref: Mezzina2022socialvulnerability
times-cited: '6'
title: 'Social Vulnerability and Mental Health Inequalities in the ``Syndemic″: Call
  for Action'
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000813472900001
usage-count-last-180-days: '2'
usage-count-since-2013: '15'
volume: '13'
web-of-science-categories: Psychiatry
year: '2022'