How should I approach the management of mental health conditions in patients from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds?

Approach to managing mental health conditions in patients from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds:

• Provide comprehensive, accessible information: Ensure patients receive written information about their mental health conditions, treatments, and available services in appropriate languages or formats, including information about third sector and voluntary organisations to support engagement and social inclusion.
• Be culturally and socioeconomically sensitive: Respect and be sensitive to patients' socioeconomic status, cultural, ethnic, religious backgrounds, gender, sexual orientation, age, and disabilities. Recognise that mental health presentations may vary across these groups.
• Develop cultural competence: Health professionals should be skilled in assessing and explaining mental health problems using culturally appropriate models, addressing differences in treatment expectations, beliefs about causes, and adherence challenges.
• Address stigma and promote inclusion: Actively work to reduce stigma associated with mental health conditions and service use, particularly in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups, by collaborating with local organisations and community resources.
• Engage patients in shared decision-making: Involve patients in discussions about their care, respecting their capacity and preferences, and tailor care plans to their individual social and cognitive needs.
• Coordinate with wider support networks: When possible, involve family, carers, advocates, and community resources to support the patient’s care and social needs, considering safeguarding and legal frameworks.
• Adapt care plans and interventions: Adjust the structure, content, duration, and delivery of interventions to accommodate socioeconomic barriers, cognitive abilities, and environmental factors that may affect treatment adherence and outcomes.

This approach ensures equitable, person-centred care that acknowledges and addresses the complex interplay of socioeconomic factors in mental health management.

References: ¹,²