Inside the Journal Club: Week 3 with Dr Siqi Xue on ‘Preventative interventions to address social determinants of mental health: a focus on cash transfer programs

Bio Summary

Dr. Xue is a women’s mental health psychiatrist and associate scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada. Dr. Xue completed her medical and psychiatry residency training at the University of Toronto. She completed a Master of Science degree in Global Mental Health jointly from King’s College London and The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) as a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Detweiler Travelling Fellow. Her work has been recognized by awards from the Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology, the Royal College of Psychiatrists (UK), and the Federation of Medical Women of Canada.

Summary

The current global mental health movement calls for prevention-based interventions that target social determinants of mental health. Cash transfers are increasingly being studied mental health promotion and prevention interventions. There is emerging evidence to support their efficacy addressing depression, anxiety, and wellbeing outcomes among children and adult populations. Psychiatric researchers can help design, evaluate, and advocate for integrated approaches.

Aims of Presentation

The aims of the presentation are to define social determinants of mental health and the interventional framework, provide an overview of cash transfer interventions, review current evidence and limitations, and examine future research opportunities. The presentation is closely aligned with Dr. Xue’s academic interests in upstream, structural, and ecological determinants of mental health, and designing and evaluating complex context-sensitive interventions in under-resourced settings.