---
_id: '13805'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: "Introduction\r\n\r\nSocial determinants play a critical role in shaping mental
    health (MH) outcomes. The World Health Organization emphasizes the importance
    of addressing such factors to reduce MH disparities. This scoping review aims
    to assess the landscape of research on social determinants of MH in Germany, focusing
    on frequently studied social determinants, MH outcomes, and underlying theoretical
    frameworks and explanatory mechanisms, particularly the consideration of the framework
    of intersectionality.\r\nMethods\r\n\r\nFollowing the Preferred Reporting Items
    for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines,
    a systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science. Studies
    that specifically addressed social determinants of MH in Germany were targeted,
    and data were charted to map key research trends.\r\nResults\r\n\r\nA total of
    73 studies were included in the data analysis and synthesis, and outcomes were
    grouped into eight social determinants of health domains. The most frequently
    examined domains were demographics (in 96.0% of included studies), interpersonal/community/cultural
    influences (89.3%), economic stability (72.0%), and education (57.3%). Less frequently
    addressed domains included neighborhood and built environment (25.3%), environmental
    events (16.0%), other health-related determinants (16.0%), and healthcare access
    and quality (5.3%). We observed substantial heterogeneity within and between domains.
    MH outcomes were more often studied in terms of mental illness than positively
    defined MH, with depression and anxiety being the most frequently assessed outcomes.
    Theoretical frameworks such as the biopsychosocial model, social-ecological perspectives,
    and resilience theory were commonly applied, while intersectionality was rarely
    explicitly analyzed.\r\nDiscussion\r\n\r\nThis scoping review delineates the research
    landscape on social determinants of MH in Germany. The findings point towards
    a predominant focus on individual-level determinants, with comparatively limited
    attention to systemic and structural factors. Moreover, an emphasis on mental
    illness rather than MH, alongside substantial heterogeneity in measured constructs,
    may constrain the understanding of MH disparities. These gaps highlight the need
    for more comprehensive, intersectional approaches that account for the diversity
    of individuals, contexts, and outcomes."
article_number: '145'
article_type: review
author:
- first_name: Martin S.
  full_name: Lehe, Martin S.
  last_name: Lehe
- first_name: Pauline
  full_name: Reiß, Pauline
  last_name: Reiß
- first_name: Vanessa C.
  full_name: Jürgensen, Vanessa C.
  last_name: Jürgensen
- first_name: Georg
  full_name: Halbeisen, Georg
  id: '85780'
  last_name: Halbeisen
  orcid: 0000-0002-9529-2215
- first_name: Georgios
  full_name: Paslakis, Georgios
  last_name: Paslakis
citation:
  ama: 'Lehe MS, Reiß P, Jürgensen VC, Halbeisen G, Paslakis G. Social determinants
    of mental health in Germany: a systematic scoping review mapping the landscape
    of researched determinants, outcome measures, and explanatory concepts. <i>International
    Journal for Equity in Health</i>. 2026;25(1). doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-026-02877-0">10.1186/s12939-026-02877-0</a>'
  apa: 'Lehe, M. S., Reiß, P., Jürgensen, V. C., Halbeisen, G., &#38; Paslakis, G.
    (2026). Social determinants of mental health in Germany: a systematic scoping
    review mapping the landscape of researched determinants, outcome measures, and
    explanatory concepts. <i>International Journal for Equity in Health</i>, <i>25</i>(1),
    Article 145. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-026-02877-0">https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-026-02877-0</a>'
  bjps: '<b>Lehe MS <i>et al.</i></b> (2026) Social Determinants of Mental Health
    in Germany: A Systematic Scoping Review Mapping the Landscape of Researched Determinants,
    Outcome Measures, and Explanatory Concepts. <i>International Journal for Equity
    in Health</i> <b>25</b>.'
  chicago: 'Lehe, Martin S., Pauline Reiß, Vanessa C. Jürgensen, Georg Halbeisen,
    and Georgios Paslakis. “Social Determinants of Mental Health in Germany: A Systematic
    Scoping Review Mapping the Landscape of Researched Determinants, Outcome Measures,
    and Explanatory Concepts.” <i>International Journal for Equity in Health</i> 25,
    no. 1 (2026). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-026-02877-0">https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-026-02877-0</a>.'
  chicago-de: 'Lehe, Martin S., Pauline Reiß, Vanessa C. Jürgensen, Georg Halbeisen
    und Georgios Paslakis. 2026. Social determinants of mental health in Germany:
    a systematic scoping review mapping the landscape of researched determinants,
    outcome measures, and explanatory concepts. <i>International Journal for Equity
    in Health</i> 25, Nr. 1. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-026-02877-0">10.1186/s12939-026-02877-0</a>,
    .'
  din1505-2-1: '<span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Lehe, Martin S.</span> ; <span
    style="font-variant:small-caps;">Reiß, Pauline</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Jürgensen,
    Vanessa C.</span> ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Halbeisen, Georg</span>
    ; <span style="font-variant:small-caps;">Paslakis, Georgios</span>: Social determinants
    of mental health in Germany: a systematic scoping review mapping the landscape
    of researched determinants, outcome measures, and explanatory concepts. In: <i>International
    Journal for Equity in Health</i> Bd. 25.   London, BioMed Central (2026), Nr. 1'
  havard: 'M.S. Lehe, P. Reiß, V.C. Jürgensen, G. Halbeisen, G. Paslakis, Social determinants
    of mental health in Germany: a systematic scoping review mapping the landscape
    of researched determinants, outcome measures, and explanatory concepts, International
    Journal for Equity in Health. 25 (2026).'
  ieee: 'M. S. Lehe, P. Reiß, V. C. Jürgensen, G. Halbeisen, and G. Paslakis, “Social
    determinants of mental health in Germany: a systematic scoping review mapping
    the landscape of researched determinants, outcome measures, and explanatory concepts,”
    <i>International Journal for Equity in Health</i>, vol. 25, no. 1, Art. no. 145,
    2026, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-026-02877-0">10.1186/s12939-026-02877-0</a>.'
  mla: 'Lehe, Martin S., et al. “Social Determinants of Mental Health in Germany:
    A Systematic Scoping Review Mapping the Landscape of Researched Determinants,
    Outcome Measures, and Explanatory Concepts.” <i>International Journal for Equity
    in Health</i>, vol. 25, no. 1, 145, 2026, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-026-02877-0">https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-026-02877-0</a>.'
  short: M.S. Lehe, P. Reiß, V.C. Jürgensen, G. Halbeisen, G. Paslakis, International
    Journal for Equity in Health 25 (2026).
  ufg: '<b>Lehe, Martin S. u. a.</b>: Social determinants of mental health in Germany:
    a systematic scoping review mapping the landscape of researched determinants,
    outcome measures, and explanatory concepts, in: <i>International Journal for Equity
    in Health</i> 25 (2026), H. 1.'
  van: 'Lehe MS, Reiß P, Jürgensen VC, Halbeisen G, Paslakis G. Social determinants
    of mental health in Germany: a systematic scoping review mapping the landscape
    of researched determinants, outcome measures, and explanatory concepts. International
    Journal for Equity in Health. 2026;25(1).'
date_created: 2026-06-07T08:21:29Z
date_updated: 2026-06-09T06:42:46Z
department:
- _id: DEP1500
doi: 10.1186/s12939-026-02877-0
intvolume: '        25'
issue: '1'
keyword:
- Social determinants
- Social determinants of health
- Mental health
- Intersectionality
- Health care inequities
- Gender
- Systematic review
language:
- iso: eng
place: '  London'
publication: International Journal for Equity in Health
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 1475-9276
publication_status: published
publisher: BioMed Central
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: 'Social determinants of mental health in Germany: a systematic scoping review
  mapping the landscape of researched determinants, outcome measures, and explanatory
  concepts'
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83781'
volume: 25
year: '2026'
...