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Allouache_24951600_2023.pdf
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- The literature on inequality of health opportunity distinguishes between illegitimate sources of inequality, also known as circumstances, which encompass factors beyond the control of the individual, and legitimate sources of inequality, also known as efforts, which are factors over which the individual can exercise control. In recent years, inequality of opportunity in terms of overall health has received a great deal of attention. This effort aims to assess for the presence of inequalities of opportunity in health and to quantify the extent of these inequalities. However, despite the growing weight of mental health problems, less attention has been paid to mental health. This narrative review aims to analyze the available evidence concerning the contribution of inequality of opportunity to the explanation of mental health disparities and thus attempt to respond to the following question: what is the current state of research on the inequality of opportunity in mental health? Google scholar, PubMed and PsycInfo were searched for the period April 2019 to July 2023, resulting in only four articles in total. All four were conducted in high-income countries. The circumstances selected were those generally used in the literature, namely social background, and parental health. Effort-related variables were not taken into account. Preliminary results suggest that inequalities in mental health attributed to circumstances are quite significant, although the limited number of articles prevents definitive conclusions from being drawn. Further studies on mental health as a distinct health outcome are needed, considering the unique challenges inherent to studying mental health, as underscored by the review.
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Allouache, L. (2023). Inequality of opportunity in mental health: a literature review. https://dial-mem.test.bib.ucl.ac.be/handle/2078.2/35829