Part of the ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health seminar series.

Traumatic events and processes have been widely investigated causal factors for mental ill health. It has long been recognised in psychiatry that reducing the occurrence and impact of adverse experiences during childhood - such as parental separation, extreme poverty/homelessness, and domestic abuse - is critical to improving mental health.

However, mental health research has struggled to move beyond working only with models which advance causal links between adversity and later mental illness.

Social epidemiology, the scientific study of the social determinants of health in populations, provides tools for understanding chains of causation, and inequalities in health between and within communities. It also highlights key factors that shape which data are collected, and for what purpose.

In this seminar, Dr Vishal Bhavsar joins us to present a historical overview of social epidemiology and to highlight how social epidemiological thinking might develop new perspectives on childhood adversity and its relevance to current research, policy and practice in mental health.

The event is free and open to all.

Please note that this session will be recorded.

How to join this event

This event will be held online on Zoom.

Please register for your free place here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtfu6pqTsjH931hajnusx6RupS8unA5xji

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about how to join the seminar.

About the speaker

Vishal is a clinical academic psychiatrist and researcher with the Section of Women’s Mental Health at IoPPN. He received his PhD in epidemiology in 2018, funded by the Wellcome Trust. He is currently developing a programme of mixed methods research to improve mental health service responses to domestic abuse, supported by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR).

About the ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health

The ESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health at King’s College London aims to develop research to promote and sustain good mental health in communities. We bring together a unique mix of disciplines and expertise to conduct innovative social science research on the impact of rapid social change in mental health. In realising our vision, we aim to shift public debate about mental health away from a focus on individualised interventions, towards social practices and policies that promote and sustain good mental health.