Social medicine improves our physical and mental health and longevity.

What is social medicine and how is it so beneficial to our health?

Let’s unpack it.

Within sociology, social medicine stands as a key research and scholarly discipline. Social medicine is an interdisciplinary field bridging the social sciences and public/global health.

Here, social scientists, especially sociologists and social epidemiologists, use existing data to conduct statistical analysis and identify the social determinants of health.

Social Medicine, Health and Longevity

For example, sociologists and social epidemiologists have been studying why some countries or economies enjoy higher degrees of population longevity than others. They found that countries and territories like Japan, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and some Nordic nations (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) tend to have longer life expectancies and lower social inequalities in health. This is often linked to their robust social safety nets, universal healthcare systems, and/or relatively equitable income distributions.

Japan and Hong Kong consistently rank high in life expectancy, often exceeding 85 years. This is partly attributed to key factors like a strong emphasis on public health, a low infant mortality rate, and a healthy diet.

Switzerland also boasts a high life expectancy and a relatively low level of social inequality, supported by a well-funded healthcare system and strong social safety nets.

Nordic countries, such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark, are known for their ‘social democratic’ models, which prioritise universal healthcare, generous social benefits, and a focus on social equality. They generally have lower income disparities at the global level and better health outcomes for all segments of the population.

Here, we find that social determinants, such as income, education, housing, and social support, are key factors influencing overall population health, as measured by lower health disparities and longer life expectancies, for example. These social determinants are categorised as part of social medicine.

Social Medicine and Mental Health

Social medicine does not just study health disparities and life expectancies. It also studies the causes or triggers of mental health issues. Here, social medicine emphasises the link between social structures and mental health, recognising that societal factors like poverty, discrimination, and lack of access to resources can significantly impact a person’s mental well-being.

For example, sociologists and social epidemiologists generally find that poverty, unemployment, and a lack of financial stability are strongly linked to increased rates of mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. Other social science studies argue that experiences of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability can contribute to mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

In one of my earlier articles (published on Medium and my blog), I further examine how a lack of strong, healthy social connections and the constant experience of social isolation can harm the mental well-being of certain populations, contributing to the widespread epidemic of loneliness across the US, the UK, and Japan.

Other key social determinants of mental health issues include unsafe or unstable housing conditions, which exacerbate mental health problems, particularly for people with existing mental illnesses. And in countries or territories with limited, less robust mental health support systems, the lack of access to quality mental health services, particularly for marginalised and discriminated communities, can lead to delayed mental health diagnoses and treatments.

Conclusions

By understanding these social determinants, social scientists in the field of social medicine aim to develop more effective, equitable, evidence-based, and data-driven health interventions and policies. While social scientists are not trained in medical schools, the history of science tells us that, by accurately analysing population health data, social scientists can accurately inform how social medicine can be delivered for better physical and mental health of global populations.

It’s all about the science of society and health.

---

Thanks for reading my brief summary of society and health. If you would like to learn more about (mental) health, personal development and/or (online) education from me, please feel free to subscribe to my newsletter below. Also please feel free to browse my blog — Society & Growth — for more content at https://jasonhungofficialblog.com/.