The Social Component of Health

Abstract

Meredith Minkler, Dr. P.H. is Associate Professor of Social and Administrative Health Sciences in the School of Public Health at University of California, Berkeley, California. The past decade has witnessed a dramatic increase in our appreciation of the role of social factors in disease prevention and health promotion. This growing interest may be seen not only in the health professional’s increased respect for the role of selfhelp groups and indigenous helpers in promoting health, but also in the research’s attention to such topics as the effects of loneliness and network breakdown on the immune system.’ It further is reflected in broader programmatic efforts, such as the statewide Friends Can Be Good Medicine campaign sponsored by the California Department of Mental Health in 1981. The latter included the training of thousands of agency and community representatives throughout the state, the airing of television and radio spots and the wide distribution of booklets on friendship and health through local health departments and agencies.